Abstract

Background Acculturation plays a crucial role in shaping the health and social outcomes of migrant populations. Despite being one of the largest labour migrant groups in Malaysia, Indonesian migrant workers’ acculturation experiences remain understudied, particularly through culturally appropriate instruments. This study cross-culturally adapted and validated the Short Acculturation Scale for use among Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia. Methods The adaptation and validation of the Short Acculturation Scale involved expert review for content relevance and clarity, forward-backward translation by qualified translators, pilot testing with a sample of the target population, and psychometric evaluation, comprising construct validity and reliability analysis. Results Eight of the original 12 items demonstrated excellent content validity, and was successfully translated into Indonesian with semantic and conceptual equivalence. A total of 135 Indonesian migrant workers participated in the pilot testing. Exploratory factor analysis supported a three-factor structure, and internal consistency across subscales was acceptable (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.679–0.816; Spearman-Brown = 0.732). Test-retest reliability showed excellent stability (ICC = 0.991-1.000, p < 0.001). Conclusions The adapted 8-item Indonesian version of the Short Acculturation Scale demonstrated acceptable construct validity and reliability, supporting its application among Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia.