Portuguese cultural adaptation and validation of the European Health Literacy Survey (HLS-EU) for children aged 9 to 10 (HLS-EU-PTc)

Abstract

Introduction To measure Health literacy (HL) as proposed in the context of the European Health Literacy Survey/questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q), the Health Literacy for Children and Adolescents (HLCA) Consortium (GE) adapted it for children. A trans-cultural adaptation and validation to Portuguese (HLS-EU-PTc), will supply policy makers, experts and health professionals with information that can promote healthier communities while fighting health disparities. Methods After permission was granted from the HLCA Consortium the TRAPD model was used (eg parallel translation, focus groups, two back translations). An assessment and pretesting of HLS-EU-PTc was done with 16 children for cognitive testing. A qualitative explanatory (n = 16) and quantitative, cross-sectional study (n = 82), age mean 13, SD 0.96, from Portugal (mainland) was implemented for proceed with the validation process. A variety of measures were obtained like internal consistency and mean scores. Results Preliminary results for evaluation of the psychometric properties of the HLS-EU-PTc show satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient 0.87). In a scale from 1 (very difficult) to 4 (very easy) for indicators of the HLS-EU-PTc, we have a mean of 3.25 and a SD of .478. Conclusions This is the first study to examine the feasibility of a Portuguese version (HLS-EU-PTc) of the HLS-EU-Q adapted for children and it indicates high internal consistency and level of self-reported HL. The usefulness of the HLS-EU-PTc instrument can be further discussed while planning public health policy strategies from the HL standpoint. The validated HLS-EU-PTc version of the HLS-EU-Qc survey, with the user’s manual can be accessed at www.literacia-saude.info.

Level of health literacy in Latvia and Lithuania: a population-based study

“…The pre-final questionnaire was examined for plain language by literacy experts from Ireland. After its initial usage by the Consortium, the HLS-EU questionnaire became a widely used health literacy survey instrument; it was validated for the general public in several other countries, ranging Portugal in Europe [ 46 ] to Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Taiwan, and Vietnam in Asia [ 47 ].…”

“…As the HLS-EU-Q instrument is used for the first time in Baltic countries, we adapted the questionnaire in Latvian, Lithuanian and Russian languages. We followed the principles as advised by Saboga-Nunes et al [46] for HLS-EU-Q instrument when using the questionnaire in Portugal. In particular, the questionnaire was translated from English language into Latvian, Lithuanian and Russian, using the TRAPD (Translation, Review, Adjudication, Pretesting, and Documentation) team translation technique, as also recommended by Harkness [48].…”

Measuring and Exploring Children’s Health Literacy in The Netherlands: Translation and Adaptation of the HLS-Child-Q15

“…In a first study investigating HLS-Child-Q15-DE’s psychometric properties, good internal consistency was demonstrated [ 15 ]. Since its development, efforts are being made to translate the HLS-Child-Q15 into other languages (e.g., English, French, Portuguese [ 16 ]). Currently, no Dutch translation of the HLS-Child-Q15 (or any other Dutch-language instrument to assess children’s HL) is available.…”

Translating best practice into real practice: Methods, results and lessons from a project to translate an English sexual health survey into four Asian languages

“…The study makes an important contribution to the literature since there are relatively few published examples describing how TRAPD has been implemented in the context of survey research, despite it being the model endorsed in the Guidelines for Best Practice in Cross-Cultural Surveys [ 22 ]. Much of the available TRAPD literature relates to translations carried out as part of large and relatively well-resourced surveys, such as the European Social Survey [ 23 – 28 ]. However, as Sha and Lai have argued “[i]t is important to identify a viable translation process that can be adapted and tailored to the varying level of expertise and resources available” [ 29 ].…”