Measuring trauma: a preliminary analysis of the hurricane-related traumatic experiences questionnaire

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the adapted Spanish version of the Hurricane-Related Traumatic Experiences (HURTE) scale among Puerto Rican adults (N = 312) who relocated tothe U.S. mainland after Hurricane Maria. Using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Item ResponseTheory (IRT), the study assessed the scale’s reliability, validity, factor structure, and item characteristics.EFA revealed a two-factor structure aligning with the original HURTE scale but with variations in item-factor constellations. Factors reflected the physical impact of the hurricane and emotional/interpersonal impacts of hurricane-related experiences. IRT analyses showed the scale includes itemsof varying difficulty, allowing for a nuanced assessment of trauma severity. Differential itemfunctioning (DIF) analyses across age and education found no significant DIF, but three items showedDIF by gender. This preliminary validation of the Spanish-language HURTE scale is essential forassessing hurricane-related traumatic experiences among Spanish-speaking adults, particularly in thecontext of increasing natural disasters. The findings contribute to understanding the scale’spsychometric properties, paving the way for future research and applications in disaster-relatedcontexts involving non-English-speaking populations, especially in hurricane-prone regions. The studyemphasizes the importance of validating measures tailored to diverse linguistic and cultural groups toimprove assessment accuracy after natural disasters.