Validation of the Arabic Version of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale Among Lebanese Cancer Patients
Received 3 February 2014; received in revised form 24 July 2014; accepted 15 August 2014. published online 22 September 2014.
Accepted Manuscript
Abstract
Context.
To
our knowledge, there have been no previous attempts to translate the
Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS) into the Arabic language and
validate it among the Arab cancer population.
Objectives
The purpose of this study was to validate the MSAS in Arabic (MSAS-Leb) among 190 Lebanese oncology outpatients.
Methods
The
questionnaires were the MSAS-Leb. and the European Organization for
Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC
QLQ-C30). Data were collected between 2009 and 2010 at a major teaching
hospital in Lebanon. The psychometric indices used were reliability,
convergent validity, principle component analysis and confirmatory
factor analysis.
Results
The Cronbach alpha coefficients
for the MSAS and its subscales ranged from 0.71 to 0.83. On convergent
validity testing, the psychological and global distress index subscales
were moderately correlated (r>-0.50,
P<0.01) with the
emotional functioning subscale of the EORTC QLQ-C30. Correlation
coefficients between the MSAS items and selected subscales from the
EORTC QLQ-C30 met the standards of convergent validity (r=-0.55-0.81;
P<0.01) except for the nausea/vomiting subscale. On principal component analysis (
N=95),
four meaningful clusters were recovered. The clusters represented the
psychological and the physical components. Confirmatory factor analysis (
N=95)
showed an acceptable model and a good fit (goodness-of-fit=0.59,
adjusted goodness-of-fit index=0.51, root mean square residual =0.05,
root mean square error of approximation =0.2) with our data set.
Conclusion
The
MSAS-Leb. has acceptable psychometric properties of reliability and
validity. We recommend its use in clinical practice and in outpatient
settings among health care professionals in order to assess and
follow-up on symptom burden among patients diagnosed with cancer.
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