title: Insufficient cross-cultural adaptations and psychometric properties for many translated health assessment scales: a systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  If researchers want to assess reliably different aspects of general health in the migrant populations, they need translations of internationally used health assessment scales with appropriate cross-cultural adaptations and satisfactory psychometric properties. A systematic review was performed to assess the quality of the cross-cultural adaptations and the psychometric properties of health assessment scales measuring cognition, mood, activities of daily living, health-related quality of life, and loneliness. We focused on the scales that were adapted for use with Turkish, Arab, and Surinamese (Creole and Hindi) individuals aged 65 years and older.
  
  
  METHODS
  PubMed, PsycINFO, and EMBASE databases were systematically searched, and selected articles were cross-checked for other relevant publications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 68 relevant studies of the Turkish, Arab, and Surinamese populations were identified. To arrive at an appropriate cross-culturally adapted scale, five steps are required. Six studies followed this complete process. Only a few studies assessed all the psychometric properties of the cross-culturally adapted scales. The studies in which these were best assessed primarily involved cognitive and functional scales.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cross-cultural adaptations are insufficient, and psychometric properties are unknown for many translated health assessment scales.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Özgül
authors: Ö
authors: Uysal-Bozkir
authors: Juliette L
authors: JL
authors: Parlevliet
authors: Sophia E
authors: SE
authors: de Rooij
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology*; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008132:Loneliness; D008877:Middle East; D008913:Minority Groups; D009426:Netherlands; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D013532:Suriname; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D014177:Translations; D014421:Turkey