Development of a Measure of “Acculturation” for Ethnic Fijians: Methodologic and Conceptual Considerations for Application to Eating Disorders Research

Abstract

Acculturation has been examined as a risk factor for eating disorders, but interpretation of findings has been limited by inconsistent operationalization of this construct across studies. The study aim was to develop and evaluate a population-specific measure of acculturation for ethnic Fijian adolescent schoolgirls, to use in future analyses related to eating disorders. Our findings suggest that acculturation is a multidimensional construct characterized by distinct, though related, dimensions of orientation to ethnic Fijian and/or western/global culture with respect to a range of behaviors and attitudes. In contrast to theoretical models positing uni-dimensional, orthogonal, or oblique relations between cultural identities in individuals undergoing acculturation, our study findings support a heterogeneous pattern among correlations of dimensions across contrasting cultural identities. We suggest multidimensional measures of acculturation are optimal — and socio-demographic proxies inadequate — for characterization of this complex process for health research.

A latent profile analysis of the typology of bulimic symptoms in an indigenous Pacific population: evidence of cross-cultural variation in phenomenology

“…However, our study was only sufficiently powered to detect medium to large effects. Moreover, the multiple dimensions of acculturation likely have heterogeneous impacts on health outcomes (Guarnaccia et al , 2009; Becker et al , in press) and the two classes may differ on a facet of cultural orientation that we did not assess. An alternative interpretation is that ethnic Fijian girls view the two types of purging as interchangeable.…”

“…Development, translation, and psychometric evaluation of these measures is described elsewhere (Becker et al , in press). For this study, participants received scores as long as long they had answered at least 80% of scale items.…”

Globalization and eating disorder risk: Peer influence, perceived social norms, and adolescent disordered eating in Fiji

“…Original and backtranslated versions were compared; when necessary, adjustments in the Fijian version were made by the study team, in consultation with a scholar of Fijian languages, to enhance alignment with the original version as well as clarity in the Fijian version. The translation procedure is described in greater detail elsewhere …”

“…We assessed self‐reported individual orientation to both traditional ethnic Fijian and Western cultures with discrete composite measures of selected contemporary ethnic Fijian cultural traditions and Western values and practices, respectively. These were based on constructs developed and evaluated in a related study in the same study population; a detailed description of measure development and psychometric properties is reported elsewhere . We have also previously established that the relationship between attitudes and behaviors comprising an ethnic Fijian cultural orientation and those comprising a Western/global cultural orientation are neither unidimensional nor orthogonal.…”

“…Advancing an understanding of the impact of shifting social norms in low resource regions undergoing rapid social change in the context of globalizing commerce and communications platforms may enrich etiologic models for the pathogenesis of eating disorders while also informing strategies to mitigate such risks. However, a robust literature examining the health effects of acculturation supports that the impacts of Western cultural exposures on eating disorder risk are quite heterogeneous across diverse populations . Therefore, discernment of generalizable or common pathways through which the local socio‐cultural environment contributes to risk is desirable.…”