Native American Wellness Scale (NAWS)

The Development of an Intertribal Quality of Life Measure for Native American and Indigenous Populations

This study will soon be recruiting participants.
Affiliated with Walden University

The purpose of this doctoral research study is to develop a culturally appropriate measure of wellness for Native American populations called the Native American Wellness Scale (NAWS), and to determine the instrument’s psychometric properties (i.e. reliability and validity).

First, it is hypothesized that the Native American Wellness Scale (NAWS) will be a valid and reliable measure of Native American wellness. Secondly, it is hypothesized that overall Native American wellness is influenced by the five domains of psychological well-being, emotional well-being, spiritual well-being, physical well-being, and cultural well-being, with historical trauma acting as a mediating variable between overall Native American Wellness and the five domains of well-being.

Study Type: Scale Development, Cultural Psychology
Study Design: Mixed Methods, Defined Population

Official Title: The Native American Wellness Scale (NAWS): The Development of an Intertribal Quality of Life Measure for Native American and Indigenous Populations

There is a lack of culturally appropriate, standardized assessment instruments for Native Americans that measure wellness and quality of life. This critical omission is problematic for Native populations because they are at a higher risk for psychosocial problems, health problems, mental health disorders, and substance abuse problems than other ethnic groups.

The present study intends to report the development and validation of a scale to measure overall wellness in Native American and indigenous populations, called the Native American Wellness Scale (NAWS). The NAWS is a self-report measure designed to enable investigators to obtain easily sensitive measures of the degree of wellness experienced by individuals in five domains: (a) psychological well-being, (b) emotional well-being, (c) spiritual well-being, (d) physical well-being, and (e) cultural well-being. The purpose of the study is to fill a void with respect to standardized quality of life and wellness measures appropriate for use with Native American populations.

The primary objective of this study is to develop a culturally appropriate measure of wellness for use with Native American and indigenous populations. To this end, the following questions must be answered:

1. Will the NAWS be an accurate predictor of overall wellness in Native American populations?

2. Is the degree of overall wellness in Native American populations mediated by symptoms of historical trauma?

It is hypothesized that the Native American Wellness Scale (NAWS) will be a valid and reliable means of assessing overall Native American wellness. Secondly, it is hypothesized that historical trauma will act as a mediating variable between overall Native American Wellness and five domains of wellness: (a) physical well-being, (b) psychological well-being, (c) spiritual well-being, (d) social-emotional well-being, and (e) cultural well-being.

Inclusion Criteria:

Primary cultural and racial identity is Native American/indigenous.
Males and females between the ages of 18 and 75.

Exclusion Criteria:

Children under the age of 18.
Hospitalized individuals.
Incarcerated individuals.

Denise Alvarado, Ph.D Candidate Psychology -Research and Evaluation Walden University (319)627-3164 dalvarad@waldenu.edu

George Smeaton, Ph. D. Assistant Dean--Research and Evaluation College of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences Walden University (612)801-2310 george.smeaton@waldenu.edu

United States
Walden University College of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

Denise Alvarado, Ph.D. Candidate Psychology - Research and Evaluation, Principal Investigator, Walden University

George Smeaton, Ph.D., Dissertation Committee Chair, Walden University

Stephanie Cawthon, Ph. D., Dissertation Committee Member, Walden University

William Disch, Ph. D., Dissertation Committee Member, Walden University

If you are of Native American, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, or other indigenous background and would like to help make a difference in the delivery of health and mental healthcare for indigenous peoples, please consider volunteering as a research participant for the Native American Wellness Scale (NAWS) study. Complete the form below and you will be sent details via email.