Kia mau i te WeHI: The design, development, and validation of the Wellbeing Hononga Index (WeHI)-A new self-report measure of Māori well-being.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of these studies were to (a) document the creation of the Wellbeing Hononga Index (WeHI), (b) demonstrate how psychometric practices can be Indigenized, and (c) provide a novel protocol for psychometrically validating survey measures. METHOD: We developed a new ordinal response scale based on the "Pūhā" plant and created 41 survey items based on the Ngaruroro model of Māori well-being (MW; Study 1). Interviews with eight Māori community members guided the refinement of this response scale and the survey items. Responses from 943 self-identifying Māori adults were analyzed using a new 11-step R-based validation protocol that incorporated item response theory analyses, factor analyses, and convergent validity tests (Study 2). Our scale development processes were evaluated by applying an adapted version of Graham Smith's five tests of veracity. RESULTS: The final 21-item measure formed an acceptable Mokken scale and provided robust coverage across the latent spectrum of Māori well-being. Evidence of within-item multidimensionality suggested that the WeHI captures two latent constructs, well-being and Māori cultural connections (hononga). The scale demonstrated strong model fit and scalar invariance across seven different demographic groupings. As expected, the WeHI moderately and positively correlated with Western measures of life satisfaction and subjective well-being. The WeHI was deemed to pass all five tests of veracity. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the WeHI is a psychometrically and culturally robust scale for measuring Māori well-being outcomes. The measure can also serve as a helpful tool for developing critical consciousness and facilitating self-reflection in relation to Māori well-being. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).