Other Titles
Psychometric Evaluation of Affiliate Stigma Scale for Dementia Family Caregivers of Asian Indian Americans [Poster Title]
Other Titles
Rising Star Poster/Presentation
Abstract
Background/Purpose: The Affiliate Stigma Scale is a commonly used instrument for measuring stigma experienced by caregivers of persons with intellectual disabilities and mental illness (Mak & Cheung, 2008). It is particularly relevant within the Asian Indian community, where dementia may sometimes be considered a punishment for past life sins of the patient or their loved ones (Chenug et al., 2019; Hossain & Khan 2019; Hussain et al., 2024; Krishnamurthi et al., 2022). Building on prior work to culturally adapt the affiliate stigma scale for Asian Indian American dementia family caregivers, this study aims to assess the reliability and validity of the culturally adapted scale.
Methods: Psychometric properties of the culturally adapted 22-item Affiliate Stigma Scale were evaluated in a convenience sample of 222 Asian Indian dementia family caregivers living in the United States. Participants were recruited via personal and professional networks using email, social media, and flyers posted in adult senior centers, religious centers, ethnic grocery stores, community clinics, and cultural events. Data were collected using digital and paper surveys. Analyses included descriptive analysis of sample characteristics, reliability, confirmatory factor analysis, and construct validity of the culturally adapted instrument.
Results: A total of 222 Asian Indian American family caregivers of people living with dementia participated. The culturally adapted instrument had excellent reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.96). After the initial exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis revealed strong to moderate item relationships with the stigma construct (factor loading range 0.573 to 0.832) and supported a one-factor solution. Construct validity was established, with stigma scored being higher among females, South Indian origin, and those with a formally diagnosed family member.
Conclusion & Implications: The adapted scale demonstrates strong reliability and validity, meeting standard psychometric criteria to provide meaningful and accurate results. The culturally adapted instrument is important for future research and clinical assessment of affiliate stigma in Asian Indian American dementia family caregivers. In nursing education, these findings can inform the development of culturally tailored programs to raise awareness of affiliate stigma among caregivers and healthcare professionals, helping caregivers recognize and address stigma in their cultural context.
Notes
References:
Cheung, G., Appleton, K., Boyd, M., & Cullum, S. (2019). Perspectives of dementia from Asian communities living in New Zealand: A focus group of Asian health care professionals. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 34(12), 1758-1764. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.5189
Hossain, M. Z., & Khan, H. T. A. (2019). Dementia in the Bangladeshi diaspora in England: qualitative study of the myths and stigmas about dementia. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 25(5), 769-778. https://doi.org/10.1111/jep.13117
Hussain, N., Clark, A., Innes, A., & Chen, Q.-W. (2024). Cultural Myths, Superstitions, and Stigma Surrounding Dementia in a UK Bangladeshi Community. Health & Social Care in the Community, 2024(1). https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/8823063
Krishnamurthi, R. V., Dahiya, E. S., Bala, R., Cheung, G., Yates, S., & Cullum, S. (2022). Lived experience of dementia in the New Zealand Indian community: A qualitative study with family care givers and people living with dementia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), 1432. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031432
Mak, W. W. S., & Cheung, R. Y. M. (2008). Affiliate Stigma among caregivers of people with intellectual disability or mental illness. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 21(6), p 533. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-3148.2008.00426.x
Sigma Membership
Alpha Tau
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Instrument and Tool Development, Instrument and Tool Validation, Affiliate Stigma Scale, Dementia, Family Caregivers, Asian Indian American Community
Recommended Citation
Wadhawan, Anju; Btoush, Rula; Zha, Peijia; and Jarrin, Olga F., "Validation of the Affiliate Stigma Scale for Asian Indian American Dementia Family Caregivers" (2025). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 192.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2025/posters_2025/192
Conference Name
36th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Invited Presentation
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Validation of the Affiliate Stigma Scale for Asian Indian American Dementia Family Caregivers
Seattle, Washington, USA
Background/Purpose: The Affiliate Stigma Scale is a commonly used instrument for measuring stigma experienced by caregivers of persons with intellectual disabilities and mental illness (Mak & Cheung, 2008). It is particularly relevant within the Asian Indian community, where dementia may sometimes be considered a punishment for past life sins of the patient or their loved ones (Chenug et al., 2019; Hossain & Khan 2019; Hussain et al., 2024; Krishnamurthi et al., 2022). Building on prior work to culturally adapt the affiliate stigma scale for Asian Indian American dementia family caregivers, this study aims to assess the reliability and validity of the culturally adapted scale.
Methods: Psychometric properties of the culturally adapted 22-item Affiliate Stigma Scale were evaluated in a convenience sample of 222 Asian Indian dementia family caregivers living in the United States. Participants were recruited via personal and professional networks using email, social media, and flyers posted in adult senior centers, religious centers, ethnic grocery stores, community clinics, and cultural events. Data were collected using digital and paper surveys. Analyses included descriptive analysis of sample characteristics, reliability, confirmatory factor analysis, and construct validity of the culturally adapted instrument.
Results: A total of 222 Asian Indian American family caregivers of people living with dementia participated. The culturally adapted instrument had excellent reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.96). After the initial exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis revealed strong to moderate item relationships with the stigma construct (factor loading range 0.573 to 0.832) and supported a one-factor solution. Construct validity was established, with stigma scored being higher among females, South Indian origin, and those with a formally diagnosed family member.
Conclusion & Implications: The adapted scale demonstrates strong reliability and validity, meeting standard psychometric criteria to provide meaningful and accurate results. The culturally adapted instrument is important for future research and clinical assessment of affiliate stigma in Asian Indian American dementia family caregivers. In nursing education, these findings can inform the development of culturally tailored programs to raise awareness of affiliate stigma among caregivers and healthcare professionals, helping caregivers recognize and address stigma in their cultural context.
Description
This study validated the culturally adapted 22-item Affiliate Stigma Scale for Asian Indian American dementia caregivers. In a sample of 222 caregivers, the scale demonstrated excellent reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.96) and supported a one-factor structure. Higher stigma was observed among females, South Indian origin caregivers, and those with a formally diagnosed family member. These findings support the scale’s use in research and clinical settings for stigma assessment.