Although Hispanics constitute the most rapidly growing segment of the popul
ation in the United States, they have received relatively little attention
regarding factors affecting their health behaviors and influences. One such
factor is the scarcity of reliable and valid Spanish-language instruments
for research with this population. Researchers who attempt to translate an
existing instrument into Spanish need to recognize the methodological issue
s involved in the translation process and psychometric testing. The purpose
of this article is to describe the advantages and disadvantages of various
translation methodologies, to identify statistical issues in cross-cultura
l research, and to provide a case study of the translation process and stat
istical analysis of a translated instrument. Specifically, this study looks
at the development and pilot testing of a Spanish-language version of the
Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II using a randomized convenience sample
of 60 bilingual Hispanic individuals.