Table 2 Development of equivalence (version 1–6)

Stage I

Translation (T1/T2)

• gender

x

• removal of gender nomenclating for child (her or she)

• wording (e.g. “environment”)

x

• use of different words (synonyms)

e.g. environment (G: “Umfeld”, “Umwelt”)

• wording (e.g. “community”, “involvement”)

x

• lack of direct translation into German

e.g. “community” (G:“gesellschaftlich” “gemeinschaftlich”)

involvement (“beteiligt” versus “engagiert”)

• wording (e.g. school lunch)

x

• country specific wordings e.g. “Jause”(Austria) versus “Vesper”(Germany), “Znüni”(Switzerland)

Stage II

Synthesis (T3)

• wording (e.g. assignments, lunch preparation)

x

• agreement to choose words commonly used in all three countries e.g. (G: “Hausaufgaben”, “Essen zubereiten”)

• “involvement”

x

• agreement on “being part and involved” (G. “beteiligt und eingebunden sein”)

• activities

x

• removal of activities that are not typical in German speaking countries (e.g. “public speaking”)

• addition of cultural adapted activities, e.g. “soccer”, “learning vocabulary”

• structure

x

• present environment questions 8 (9) on next page

Stage IV

Pre-final 1

• general wording

x

• small changes in used language structure, e.g. change from survey to “questionnaire” (G: “Fragebogen”)

• response item

x

• revised “not an issue” (G: “nicht relevant”)

Following first round of interviews (#1 - #7)

Stage IV

Pre-final 2

• introduction

x

• adapt introduction

 - add age range of PEM-CY (5–17 years)

 - explain “participation” and “environment”

 - add a sentence that that this survey is not about the child’s independence

 - express that activities are just examples

• explanations

x

• add encouragement for parents to fill in school setting

• sequences

x

• change sequence of activity groups, start with “ Indoor play and games”

• response items

x

x

• for school setting, add “on school days”

• repeat the 4 month timeframe of frequency on each page

• insert a 2 phase response option to all environmental parts: “No, it is no issue”, “yes it is an issue” and then explain supportiveness.

• “demands”

x

• insert “demands and expectations” to questions 4–6 in environments

• “involvement”

• change of German word for “involvement” (G: “Engagement”) (see stage II)

• structure

x

• add subtitles to A (frequency), B (involvement), C (wished changes)

• add line for comments (voluntary) for all activity groups

Following second round of interviews (#8 - #11)

Stage V

Pre-final 3

• “child”

• “neighborhoods”

x

• use whenever possible “child and adolescent”

• replaced by “visits to public areas”

• explanations

x

• present a definition of home, school and community on each page

• response items environment

x

• inserted a note that parents should think broadly about the environment sections

• change the answer format: headline (A and B answers) and subtheme (B1, B2, B3) referring to hindering and supportive environments

Following third round of interviews (#12 -#15)

 Stage IV

Pre-final 4

• “school”

x

• add “school and kindergarten”

• visualization

x

• visually structure the item “wished changes” with a thicker line

• highlight “skip to C”

 Stage V

Pre-final 5

• explanations

x

• explaining that garden or yard is part of home

• explaining that way to school is part of school

• “demands”

x

• remove “expectations” (see stage IV)

• structure

x

• remove proposed structure (see Stage V) and verbalize supporting and hindering environment (see Fig. 2)