METHODS
After necessary approval was obtained from the oncology hospital, research was conducted with 280
chemotherapy outpatients. Content validity, construct validity, and criterion-related validity tests were
used to evaluate validity of SCS use in Turkey, while internal consistency and test-retest reliability were
measured to determine reliability.
RESULTS
Content validity index value based on ratings of experts on all items of SCS found on above 0.80. The
Turkish version of the scale has 48 items based on 6 factors, and is similar to the original SCS measure.
Confirmatory factor analysis . Cronbach's alpha value of scale was 0.918 and unchangeability against
time was proven.
CONCLUSION
James Supportive Care Screening is a valid and reliable measurement tool for screening Turkish cancer
patients.
Keywords: Cancer; distress; validity; reliability
In literature, distress is defined as undesired emotional
experiences occurring multidimensional in psyhological (cognitive, behavioral, emotional), social,
and spiritual ground that have a negative impact
on a patient's coping with the disease.[
Thus, the problems experienced by individuals
diagnosed with cancer and distress that occur as a
result of these problems should be handled together.
As each area of life interacts with one another, problems
get more complicated while correlation between
life quality and disease is being negatively influenced.
[
Usage of standard measurement devices will enable
for the determination of distress experienced
by individuals who are diagnosed with cancer while
making it possible for supportive treatment to be
provided at an early stage. Supportive care treatment
is a special care modeling while family and
the individual are taken to the center for all factors,
including individual values, beliefs, and cultural issues,
to be managed in an effective way.[
In this research it is aimed for the adjustment of
SCS, that measures distress and the problems experienced
by individuals in all areas of life in an extensive
way, to the Turkish culture and to ensure its validity
and reliability. By the usage of a standard measurement
device for measuring distress experienced by
individuals diagnosed with cancer in our country in
clinical environment, it is thought that the problems
experienced by individuals won't be missed and that
supportive care treatment shall be provided at an early
stage.
Data Collection Tools
Introductory Information Form: Introductory information
form which is prepared by the researchers by
analyzing the literature, is a form composed of 11 questions
in total questioning particulars like age, gender,
marital status, educational status, occupation, income
level, existence of any physical or mental diseases other
than cancer, the type of cancer disease, the stage of
cancer disease, and the time of being diagnosed with
cancer.
James Supportive Care Screening (SCS): The SCS,
was developed by Wells-Di Gregorio and his friends
(2013) for measuring the distress experienced by individuals
being diagnosed with cancer and to specify the
areas where they need support. It is composed of 48
items and six subscales in total. Subscales of the scale
are composed of emotional concerns (14), spiritual/religious
concerns (4), health care concerns (4), social/
practical problems (6), cognitive concerns (3), and
physical symptoms (17) questions. Scaling questions
are answered by using the options of: None (0), mild
(1), moderate (2), and severe (3). A total score could be obtained or evaluations could be made per each question.
As the total score increases, the level of distress
experienced increases.[
EORTC QLQ C-30 Life Quality Scale (European
Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer
Quality of Life): The scale which was developed by
European Organisation for Research and Treatment
of Cancer, is composed of three sections as functional
scale, global health status scale, and symptom scale and
it contains 30 questions in total. Total score for scaling
could be evaluated or functional scores could be calculated
separately as being part of the scaling. The high
score which is obtained from functional scales show
healthy functional level and high life standard, the high
score obtained from global health status scale shows
high life quality, and the high score obtained from
symptom scale shows that the symptoms are being experienced
heavily and that the life quality is low. Turkish
validity and reliability of the scale was conducted
by Güzelant and his friends (2004) and Cronbach alpha
coefficient was found to be ≥0.70.[
Validity Studies
Construct Validity: As relating with the construct
validity of the scale, Confirmatory Factor Analysis
(CFA), being recommended for scale adjustment
works, has been used.[
Criterion-Related Validity: The correlation between
the subscales of SCS, namely emotional concerns, cognitive
concerns, and physical symptoms with emotional
functional score, cognitive functioning score, and total score of symptom scale of EORTC QLQ C-30 Life
Quality Scale has been controlled by calculating pearson
moment correlation coefficient.
Reliability Studies
Unchangeability against Time (Test-Retest Method):
The scale has been reapplied to 30 people after two
weeks' time. Analysis was made by calculating the correlation
coefficients in the first and final applications.
For the evaluation of data, SPSS and LISREL package
programs have been used.
Linguistic Validity and Content Validity: First of all,
original scale has been translated from English to
Turkish by five experts (one psychologist, one psychological
consultancy specialist, two experts specialized
in the nursing related with mental health and diseases,
one teacher who is graduated from English Language
and Literature Division) by conducting a group translation.
The Turkish form which was obtained after the
translation was further translated from Turkish to English
by two translators, with English being their mother
tongue, who have been living in Turkey for many years
as a common study conducted by them. The expressions
in this translation and the expressions used in
original scaling were compared and the required adjustments
were done in line with the recommendations
made by the translators. In order to ensure content validity,
the latest version of scale has been presented to
ten experts who knew the technics and methods used
in preparing scale questions well. In the evaluation of
opinions of experts, Davis technic has been used.[
Internal Consistency Analysis: In order to analyze the
internal consistency of SCS, Cronbach alpha coefficient
of the scale and its subscales and item-total correlation
values of the item have been calculated.
It was determined that 38.2% (n=107) of the participants were diagnosed with breast cancer and that among 219 individuals, whose phase was specified (cancer phase of 61 individuals was not determined as it could not be found out yet or due to the missing parts existing in the registry system), 37.1% (n=104) were in the 4th phase and that 31.4% also had physical illness accompanying cancer and that 3.6% (n=10) were also diagnosed with mental illness in addition to cancer. Furthermore, it was determined that the individuals participating in the research were diagnosed with cancer 44.9±4.17 months ago.
Findings Relating with Validity Studies
Before applying CFA method, in order to determine
the sufficiency of sampling, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin
Measure of Sampling Adequacy (KMO) and Bartlett
Test of Sphericity tests have been applied and the outcomes
were found to be meaningful (KMO= 0.845,
X2=5043.087, p≤0.000). In addition, Power analysis
was conducted as Post Hoc and it was seen that the
sampling was powerful with a rate of 81.3%.
Following CFA conducted in order to make the
evaluation of construct validity, fit indices which are
shown in Table 1 and the model relating with Turkish
form of the scale illustrated in Figure 1 have been
found out. The model which was specified in Turkish,
fitted to the original model and it could measure the
structure it was aimed to measure with validity in six
dimensions as was determined (Table
A meaningful relationship was found between the
subscales of emotional concerns of SCS and the emotional
functioning score of EORTC QLQ C-30 Life
Quality Scale in the negative correlation and again a
meaningful relationship was found between the subscales
of cognitive concerns of SCS and the cognitive
functional score of EORTC QLQ C-30 Life Quality
Scale, in the negative correlation (Table
As the total score of SCS was analyzed per gender,
it was determined that distress score average was
29.58±19.594 for women and that it was 20.57±16.680
for men.
Findings Relating with Reliability Studies
As item-total correlation coefficient of SCS, being
composed of 48 items, was analyzed, it was found
out that it varied between the values of r=0.665 and
r=0.068. Item-total correlation coefficient value of five
of the items (13,18,24,28,48) were found to be below
0.20. Among these five items (13,18,24,28,48), only the
reliability coefficient of the 28th item was found to be
statistically meaningless (p=0.253) (Table
In order to specify the unchangeability against time
(test-retest method) of SCS, the scale was reapplied to
30 individuals two weeks after the first application as
regards to parametric statistical testing.[
As the opinions of experts were evaluated by using Davis
technic, Content Validity Index (CVI) of all items
were found to be over 0.80. In literature, it is stated that
as relating with content validity, CVI value of each item
should be minimum 0.80.[
As Cronbach alpha coefficients of SCS and its subscales
were calculated, it was determined that Cronbach
alpha coefficient of subscales was above 0.50
and that Cronbach alpha coefficient of the scale was
0.918 (Table
Between the Emotional concerns subscale of SCS
and Emotional functional score of EORTC QLQ C-30
Life Quality Scale, a meaningful relationship in the
negative correlation was found (Table
The numbers of female volunteers participating in
the research have been more than the number of male
participants. As SCS determines the distress being experienced,
it focuses on the emotions.[
As the total score of SCS is analyzed per gender, it
is found out that average distress score of women is
higher than that of men. In some researches made in
literature, it is also specified that the distress level experienced
by women is higher than that of men.[
Cronbach alpha coefficient expected in scale development
and adaptation studies in literature is a debatable
topic. Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient is
only one of the reliability methods. It is not an absolute
reliability scale. In some of the researches made in
literature, it is stated that Cronbach alpha value should
not be lower than 0.50.[
The item-total correlation coefficient value of five
items (13,18,24,28,48) of SCS was determined to be
below 0.20. In literature, it is stated that item-total correlation
value should be higher than 0.20.[
As the relationship between measurements of SCS
for the beginning study and for the one applied two
weeks later was analyzed, the correlation value specifying
the relation between all subscales and scale total
score was found to be in the perfect reliability interval
of 0.95 and 1.00 (Table
Disclosure Statement
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.