| Summary: | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The purpose of this study was to design a brief questionnaire to measure fears about recurrence and health in cancer survivors. Research involving fear of recurrence has been increasing, indicating that it is an important concern among cancer survivors.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We developed and tested a six-item instrument, the Assessment of Survivor Concerns (ASC). Construct validity was examined in a multiple group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with 592 short-term and 161 long-term cancer survivors. Convergent and discriminant validity was examined through comparisons with the PANAS (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule) and the CES-D (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression) measures.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>CFA models for the ASC with short- and long-term survivors showed good fit, with equivalent structure across both groups of cancer survivors. Convergent and discriminant validity was also supported through analyses of the PANAS and CES-D. One item (children's health worry) did not perform as well as the others, so the models were re-run with the item excluded, and the overall fit was improved.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The ASC showed excellent internal consistency and validity. We recommend the revised five-item instrument as an appropriate measure for assessment of cancer survivor worries.</p>
|
|---|