Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Brazilian Portuguese Version of an Observational Measure for Parent–Child Responsive Caregiving

• Main Authors: Alessandra Schneider, Michelle Rodrigues, Olesya Falenchuk, Tiago N. Munhoz, Aluisio J. D. Barros, Joseph Murray, Marlos R. Domingues, Jennifer M. Jenkins
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-01-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: responsive caregiving; parent–child interaction; observational measurement; thin slice methodology; low- and middle-income countries; Brazil
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/3/1246
• ISSN: 1661-7827; 1660-4601

Responsive caregiving is the dimension of parenting most consistently related to later child functioning in both developing and developed countries. There is a growing need for efficient, psychometrically sound and culturally appropriate measurement of this construct. This study describes the cross-cultural validation in Brazil of the Responsive Interactions for Learning (RIFL-P) measure, requiring only eight minutes for assessment and coding. The cross-cultural adaptation used a recognized seven-step procedure. The adapted version was applied to a stratified sample of 153 Brazilian mother–child (18 months) dyads. Videos of mother–child interaction were coded using the RIFL-P and a longer gold standard parenting assessment. Mothers completed a survey on child stimulation (18 months) and child outcomes were measured at 24 months. Internal consistency (α = 0.94), inter-rater reliability (<i>r</i> = 0.83), and intra-rater reliability (<i>r</i> = 0.94) were all satisfactory to high. RIFL-P scores were significantly correlated with another measurement of parenting (<i>r</i>’s ranged from 0.32 to 0.47, <i>p</i> < 0.001), stimulation markers (<i>r</i> = 0.34, <i>p</i> < 0.01), and children’s cognition (<i>r</i> = 0.29, <i>p</i> < 0.001), language (<i>r</i> = 0.28, <i>p</i> < 0.001), and positive behavior (<i>r</i> = 0.17, <i>p</i> < 0.05). The Brazilian Portuguese version is a valid and reliable instrument for a brief assessment of responsive caregiving.