Adaptation of the Good Spirit, Good Life quality of life tool for remote Indigenous Australians

Abstract

Purpose: The Good Spirit, Good Life (GSGL) assessment tool was co-developed in urban and regional Australia to address quality of life (QoL) for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and inform culturally responsive care. This study aimed to determine the acceptability and validity of the GSGL tool in Australian remote settings. Methods: A co-design methodology was applied to this study. Yarning groups were conducted in 5 communities across 2 remote regions of Australia with older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Required adaptations to the tool were refined with governance groups in each region. Forward and back translation was performed for the adapted tool with consensus achieved through an expert committee. Results: Adaptations to the GSGL tool involved small wording changes to two items (Country/Island Home and Elder role). Five items were adapted through additional prompts and examples (culture, respect, supports and services, safety and security, basic needs). The remaining five items were retained (family and friends, community, health, spirituality, future planning). During forward and back translation, translation errors were identified with an expert language committee highlighting the importance of clear translation methods. Conclusion: The adapted GSGL tool is an acceptable QoL tool for use in health and aged care with urban, regional and remote-living Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. When translating a tool, forward-back translation with an expert language committee is recommended to reach concordance in meaning. The adapted GSGL tool is suitable for use with an interpreter when required.