Measurement of Family Management in Families of Individuals With Down Syndrome: A Cross-Cultural Investigation

Abstract

Down syndrome (DS) is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability worldwide. The purpose of this analysis was to determine the internal consistency reliability of eight language versions of the Family Management Measure (FaMM) and compare family management of DS across cultures. A total of 2,740 parents of individuals with DS from 11 countries completed the FaMM. The analysis provided evidence of internal consistency reliability exceeding .70 for four of six FaMM scales for the entire sample. Across countries, there was a pattern of positive family management. Cross-cultural comparisons revealed parents from Brazil, Spain, and the United States had the most positive family management and respondents from Ireland, Italy, Japan, and Korea had the least positive. The rankings were mixed for the four remaining countries. These findings provide evidence of overall strong internal consistency reliability of the FaMM. More cross-cultural research is needed to understand how social determinants of health influence family management in families of individuals with DS.