Abstract
Valid measurement of meaning in life (MIL) is crucial for cross-cultural understanding of the construct. The Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), a widely used measure of MIL, has yet to be translated into any indigenous African language. The current study presents a preliminary report of a Hausa language translation of the MLQ, the MLQ-Hausa version (MLQ-H), and its reliability and validity in a Nigerian sample. Participants were 809 internally displaced persons (IDPs) (50.7% males) in Kabusa IDP Centre in Abuja Municipal Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. They completed Hausa versions of the MLQ, the Brief Personal Meaning Profile (PMP-B), and scales of the Symptoms Distress Checklist (SCL-90). Results of a confirmatory factor analysis supported the original two-factor model of the MLQ comprising presence of meaning (5 items) and search for meaning (5 items). The two factors had adequate reliability. Responses to the MLQ-H did not differ by sociodemographic factors. Concurrent validity of MLQ-H was suggested by significant correlations between MLQ-H and psychopathology symptom scales. Importantly, we found convergent validity through positive correlations of MLQ-H with the PMP-B. Results indicate that the MLQ-H is a psychometrically sound measure of MIL among Hausa IDPs and may be applied in research on meaning in life among other Hausa-speaking populations.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 103-122 |
Number of pages | 20 |
Journal | Transcultural Psychiatry |
Volume | 56 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 21 Aug 2018 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Feb 2019 |
Keywords
- Hausa
- internal displacement
- meaning in life
- psychopathology
- translation