Cultural adaptation and validation of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-2)instrument to the Tsafiqui language for the Tsáchila community

Abstract

Objective: To conduct the cultural adaptation of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) into the Tsafiqui language and to evaluate its preliminary psychometric properties in a pilot sample from the Tsáchila community. Methods: The study followed an instrumental, cross-sectional design and was carried out in three stages. First, information was collected regarding the worldview, language, and practices associated with mental health in the Tsáchila community. Second, two independent translators performed the forward translation of the instrument into Tsafiqui, followed by a back-translation into Spanish. The review process and reduction of the instrument from 21 to 14 items were conducted by five expert judges. Third, the preliminary adapted version was administered to a sample of 150 participants to assess reliability and construct validity. Results: High internal consistency was observed (α = 0.928). Item–total correlations ranged from 0.135 to 0.879. Factor analysis indicated good sampling adequacy (KMO = 0.89; p < 0.001), and the first factor explained 62.03 % of the total variance. Conclusions:  The adapted version of the BDI-II in the Tsafiqui language demonstrated favorable preliminary psychometric properties, suggesting that it may serve as a potentially useful tool for assessing depressive symptoms in the Tsáchila community.