Differential Item Functioning Across Race in Aging Research: An Example Using a Social Support Measure

Abstract

When conducting clinical assessments in older adults of different races, it is important for a clinician to feel confident that his/her instruments work equivalently well for all races. To explore the ability of instruments to measure constructs equally well across older adults of different races, we conducted differential item functioning (DIF) analysis on the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL-12). Eight ISEL items displayed negative DIF, indicating their lower endorsement among Blacks, Hispanics, and in some cases Asians, compared with Whites. Two items displayed positive DIF, suggesting higher endorsement on these items by Blacks and Hispanics than Whites. Once DIF was accounted for, however, only Asians endorsed lower levels of social support than the White reference group. Potential mechanisms of these differences and suggestions for addressing DIF when conducting clinical assessments were explored.

Keywords:

• differential item functioning
• ethnicity
• Interper sonal Evaluation Support List
• race
• social support

Notes

The National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) was conducted and funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), with supplemental support from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).