# Developing a novel methodology to evaluate the content validity of two sensory reactivity assessments adapted for South Africa

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a new method to check if two sensory assessments are suitable for use in South Africa.

## Contribution

The study presents a novel mixed-method approach for evaluating content validity in a new cultural context.

## Key findings

- The methodology showed that most content validity measures were sufficient.
- Adaptations were made where content validity was lacking.
- Thresholds were established for qualitative and quantitative data evaluation.

## Abstract

When a standardised assessment is used in a new context or with a population that differs from the original assessment’s normative sample, content validity should be re-evaluated. This study reports on the methodology developed for evaluating content validity of two sensory reactivity assessments that were adapted for use in the Western Cape province, South Africa.

A sequential explanatory mixed-method approach was used. The first part of the evaluation of content validity employed a qualitative methodology with cognitive interviewing of participants after administration of the adapted sensory reactivity assessments in a feasibility study. The second part of the evaluation involved a quantitative methodology to rate item and subscale content validity by an expert group of occupational therapists.

Most of the measures of content validity evaluated indicated sufficient content validity. Where there were insufficient content validity ratings, adaptations were made to increase the content validity of the assessments.

A novel methodology for evaluating the content validity of an assessment was developed and used to evaluate the content validity of two sensory reactivity assessments that had been adapted for use in the Western Cape province. Thresholds were set for determining sufficient content validity of both the qualitative and quantitative data.