Abstract
Date Presented 03/21/24
This study cross-culturally validated the Sensory Health Awareness and Responsiveness Profile (SHARP). Differences stress the need to further explore the relationships between constructs of sensory health and culture.
Primary Author and Speaker: Liat Hen-Herbst
Additional Authors and Speakers: Sonya Meyer, Catherine Cavaliere
The purpose was to explore the SHARP questionnaire’s use in Israel and cross-culturally compare to results from the United States. Sensory health is the awareness of and response to sensory information from the body and the environment (Cavaliere, 2020). The SHARP explores sensory health and profiles sensory preferences and responsiveness across environments and contexts (Cavaliere et al., 2023). This study contributes to SHARP's validity and its potential for global clinical implementation. This cross-sectional online study included undergraduate students (n=252) from academic institutions in Israel. Results of the SHARP were compared to previously collected data from college students from the United States (n=131). Students completed a demographic questionnaire, the Sensory Health Awareness and Responsiveness Profile, the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA-2), the PERMA-Profiler, and the Sensory Responsiveness Questionnaire (SRQ). Spearman’s correlation determined the validity of SHARP, MAIA-2, PREMA, and SRQ content. The results of the two cultural groups were compared using t-tests and Cohen’s d for effect sizes. The SHARP total score demonstrated construct validity compared to the MAIA-2 scales ranging r=.385 to .521, p<.001; PERMA scales ranging r=.300 to .377, p<.001; and the SRQ hedonic score (r=.224, p<.001). Significant differences were found in the SHARP total score between students in Israel (M=3.12, SD=.35) and the United States (M=3.97, SD=.42) (t(226)=-19.94, p<.001, d=2.27). The SHARP demonstrated construct validity among Israeli students. Group differences may reflect the tool's sensitivity to cultural variations and how it impacts sensory health. Differences stress the need to explore further the relationships between constructs of sensory health and culture. Cultural adaptation of this new assessment tool that measures new aspects of sensory functioning can assist occupational therapy practitioners in addressing.
References
Cavaliere, C. Sensory health: Expanding our thinking about sensory processing. World Journal of Yoga, Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation, 2(3), 1-3. https://doi.org/10.33552/WJYPR.2020.02.000540
Cavaliere, C., Damiao, J., Botta, B., Dubuisson, D., Ruggieri, A., & Shukla, H. (2023, April 20–23). Construct validity of the sensory health awareness and responsiveness profile [Poster presentation]. 2023 American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference & Expo, Kansas City, MO, United States.
