Validation of the Asthma Illness Representation Scale-Spanish (AIRS-S © )

Background. To expand knowledge surrounding parental illness representations (IRs) of their children's asthma, it is imperative that culturally appropriate survey instruments are developed and validated for use in clinical and research settings. The Asthma Illness Representation Scale (AIRS©) provides a structured assessment of the key components of asthma IRs, allowing the health care provider (HCP) to quickly identify areas of discordance with the professional model of asthma management. The English AIRS was developed and validated among a geographically and ethnically diverse sample. The authors present the validation results of the AIRS-S© (Spanish) from a sample of Mexican and Puerto Rican parents. Methods. The AIRS was translated and back translated per approved methodologies. Factor analysis, internal reliability, external validity, and 2-week test-retest reliability (on a subsample) were carried out and results compared with the validated English version. Data were obtained from 80 Spanish-speakin...