Te Waka Kuaka, Rasch Analysis of a Cultural Assessment Tool in Traumatic Brain Injury in Māori.

Author(s): Hinemoa Elder

Aim: To examine the validity of a new measure, Te Waka Kuaka, in assessing the cultural needs of Maori with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Method: Maori from around Aotearoa New Zealand were recruited. Three hundred and nineteen people with a history of TBI, their whanau (extended family members), friends, work associates, and interested community members participated. All completed the 46-item measure. Rasch analysis of the data was undertaken.

Results: All four subscales; Wa (time), Wahi (place), Tangata (people) and Wairua practices (activities that strengthen spiritual connection) were unidimensional. Ten items were deleted because of misfitting the model secondary to statistically significant disordered thresholds, non-uniform Differential Item Functioning (DIF) and local dependence. Five items were re-scored in the fourth subscale resulting in ordered thresholds.

Conclusions: Rasch analysis facilitated a robust validation process of Te Waka Kuaka.