ABSTRACT
KEYWORDS. Latino women, focus group, substance use, questionnaire
The lack of culturally congruent data collection measurements is significant because it challenges the validity of the data collected (De La Rosa & Adrados, 1993; Lugo-Steidel & Contreras, 2003) and because efforts have not been made to assess the cultural relevancy of such scales when collecting data among Latino populations. Equally important is the concern of researchers who conduct substance abuse research with Latino population regarding issues associated with collecting accurate information on the drug using behaviors of Latino populations, particularly among Latino women, given the high level of stigma ascribed to the use of drugs and alcohol among women in the Latino culture (Flaskerud & Nyamathi, 2000; Trepper, Nelson, McCollum & McAvoy, 1997; Vega, Kolody, Porter & Noble, 1997).
