Journal article
The Intersectional Discrimination Index – Revised: Refinement and Further Psychometric Assessment
Social science & medicine (1982), v 409, 119867
22 Sep 2026
PMID: 42784851
Abstract
The Intersectional Discrimination Index (InDI) includes three measures of anticipated, day-to-day, and major discrimination for intercategorical intersectionality research. Previous studies found that the measures are unidimensional with high loadings, good test-retest reliability, predictive validity, and measurement invariance between Canadian and United States (US) samples. Gaps included the need for cognitive interviewing, reassessing stability of the measures’ configural and metric structures in a diverse US sample and identifying ways to protect participant well-being. From 2021 through 2025 we conducted cognitive interviews, revised, and then psychometrically assessed the InDI-Revised (InDI-R) in English and Spanish among US adults, including a community-engaged sub-study with people living with HIV. We conducted 75 cognitive interviews and modified the measures to clarify that the InDI-Anticipated assesses future expectations, address ambiguity, add items about social distancing and mistreatment by family, and simplify response options. Next, we examined the internal validity of the English InDI-R in an online survey of Black, Latino/a/e, and White adults (n=2,763, half sexual/gender minority). Confirmatory factor analyses indicated the InDI-R measures are unidimensional with high item loadings, consistent with the original InDI. Inter-item residual correlations indicated potential redundancies, which may be addressed by merging items in future studies. We also tested whether strengths-focused questions would protect respondent affect. Participants were happier and less upset when administered strengths-focused questions after the InDI-R. These results provide support for internal validity of the InDI-R measures and inclusion of strengths-focused items in discrimination studies.
•Revised the Intersectional Discrimination Index based on cognitive interviews•Psychometrically assessed the revised English Index among 2,763 US adults•Measures were unidimensional with high loadings and potentially redundant item pairs•Administering strengths-focused items protected participant affect
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Details
- Title
- The Intersectional Discrimination Index – Revised: Refinement and Further Psychometric Assessment
- Creators
- Ayden I. Scheim - Western UniversityKelly A. Courts - Drexel UniversityDaniel Vader - Western UniversityAna María del Río-González - George Washington UniversityGreta R. Bauer - Western UniversitySannisha K. Dale - University of MiamiTonia Poteat - Duke UniversityRoxana Bolden - University of MiamiValerie A. Earnshaw - University of DelawareJoão Luiz Bastos - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
- Publication Details
- Social science & medicine (1982), v 409, 119867
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Number of pages
- 11
- Grant note
- National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health: R21 MD016177-01, 3R21MD016177-01S1 National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: R25AI154589 Brazilian Council of Scientific Research and Technological Development: 303775/2021-1
We thank our study participants for their invaluable contributions. We also gratefully acknowledge the contributions of research team staff members Bisola Hamzat, Kati Hinman, Luwam Gebrekristos, Heather Santos, Bricia Trejo, and Kaylee Wilson. We also thank the University of Miami Center for HIV and Research in Mental Health Community Advisory Board members for their expert feedback and guidance. This research was supported by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health under award numbers R21 MD016177-01 and 3R21MD016177-01S1 and by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases under award number R25AI154589. J.L. Bastos was partially supported by the Brazilian Council of Scientific Research and Technological Development (Research Grant 303775/2021-1) . The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Urban Health Collaborative; Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001886845800001
- Other Identifier
- 991022235023704721