Family adaptation in families of individuals with Down syndrome from 12 countries.

Our current understanding of adaptation in families of individuals with Down syndrome (DS) is based primarily on findings from studies focused on participants from a single country. Guided by the Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment, and Adaptation, the purpose of this cross-country investigation, which is part of a larger, mixed methods study, was twofold: (1) to compare family adaptation in 12 countries, and (2) to examine the relationships between family variables and family adaptation. The focus of this study is data collected in the 12 countries where at least 30 parents completed the survey. Descriptive statistics were generated, and mean family adaptation was modeled in terms of each predictor independently, controlling for an effect on covariates. A parsimonious composite model for mean family adaptation was adaptively generated. While there were cross-country differences, standardized family adaptation mean scores fell within the average range for all 12 countries. Key components of the guiding framework (i.e., family demands, family appraisal, family resources, and family problem-solving communication) were important predictors of family adaptation. More cross-country studies, as well as longitudinal studies, are needed to fully understand how culture and social determinants of health influence family adaptation in families of individuals with DS.

Development and Validity Testing of an Assessment Tool for Domestic Elder Abuse.

BACKGROUND: The older adult population is increasing in number, and elder abuse is expected to become a more pressing problem. Developing tools to assess the presence and severity of elder abuse is important to both effectively prevent this abuse and provide increased support for families. PURPOSE: This study was intended to test the validity of an Assessment Tool for Domestic Elder Abuse (ATDEA). The items that constitute this tool were derived from a literature review. METHODS: Two rounds of self-administered questionnaire surveys were conducted with nurses working at home-visit nursing stations. Round 1 was used to evaluate the face validity, and Round 2 was used to test the content using the content validity index (CVI). RESULTS: Two hundred forty nurses participated in the two studies. In Round 1, 56 nurses evaluated 38 items derived from a literature review, resulting in the development of a 36-item ATDEA. In Round 2, 184 nurses evaluated the content validity of the 36-item ATDEA. The Item-CVI (I-CVI) scores ranged from .61 to 1. Twenty-eight of the items met or exceeded the I-CVI threshold of .78, whereas the eight items assessing self-neglect did not. The overall Scale-CVI score for the assessment tool was .90, which met the threshold of .90. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The results of validity testing established the preliminary validity of this assessment tool. In addition, as self-neglect is known to damage the well-being of older adults, six of the eight items assessing self-neglect were retained in the ATDEA despite their failure to meet the threshold I-CVI of .78. The remaining two self-neglect items were not included in the ATDEA because of excessively low I-CVI scores (< .70). Thus, the final version of the ATDEA includes 34 items. The authors recommend that nursing professionals use the ATDEA as a checklist to assess the presence of elder abuse and to discern the subtypes and severity of this abuse. When evaluating elder abuse, the higher the degree of severity, the greater the urgency to provide support.

The Environment and Support Needs of Japanese Families on Temporary Work Assignments in the United States.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to describe the environment and the family support needs of families of Japanese nationals rearing children who are temporarily working in the Southwestern United States. DESIGN: Mixed methods were utilized based on the Concentric Sphere Family Environment Model. Data collection occurred over 132 days, with 25 families participating in formal interviews and 40 families completing a written questionnaire survey. FINDINGS/RESULTS: "Mutual support from relatives and friends in Japan, and with local Japanese peers," and other themes, six in all, were extracted. Japanese families require intervention for measures related to the global environment in their daily lives. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The common factor for those families with high intervention needs was the inability to access family external resources that were usually available in Japan. IMPLICATION FOR PRACTICE: The building of peer support and intervention to promote their participation in the community are necessary.

Development of the concentric sphere family environment model and companion tools for culturally congruent family assessment.

The article presents development of a nursing model for holistically understanding the family environment that acts on family well-being as well as of tools based on this model to assess family well-being. These were constructed by using qualitative, quantitative, and literary approaches, such as the Delphi technique, a literature review, semistructured interviews with families, and ethnographic studies in Japan, Hong Kong, and the United States. In the "Concentric Sphere Family Environment Model," a three-dimensional logical space is formed by the three assessment axes of relationships (structural distance, functional distance, and temporal distance) and five systems (supra system, macro system, micro system, family internal environment system, and chrono system) located therein. The "Family Environment Assessment Index" comprises 37 items for assessing the family well-being, and for each of their specifications useful sample questions are provided to conduct the culturally congruent family assessment.