title: Evaluation of a generic brief acculturation scale in a sample of male enlisted naval personnel.
abstract: This study examined the reliability and validity of the 3-item Generic Brief Acculturation Scale (GBAS). The GBAS was administered as a part of a larger Navy Health Behavior Survey of male enlisted personnel deployed on aircraft carriers. Analyses are reported here for the subsample for whom English was a second language (n = 529, 15% of original sample). Generic Brief Acculturation Scale reliability was assessed with internal consistency. Validity was assessed using t test and correlation. Results supported reliability and validity: Cronbach alpha was .81, mean GBAS scores for US-born participants were significantly higher than that for foreign born (P < .05), and GBAS scores were positively correlated with generation (r = 0.34). Additional research with civilian populations is needed, but these findings suggest that the GBAS could be useful either as a quick screen in clinical practice to determine when a translator may be needed or to guide decision making regarding health promotion programming.
authors.affiliation: William F. Connell School of Nursing, Boston College, Massachusetts 02467, USA. norrisa@bc.edu
authors.forename: Anne E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Norris
authors.forename: Raymond E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: H Paco
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D000328:Adult; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D011594:Psychometrics