Additional construct validity of the Schwartz Cancer Fatigue Scale

Area of Science:

• Psychometrics
• Oncology
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Cancer-related fatigue is a significant issue impacting patients' quality of life.
• Accurate measurement of cancer fatigue is crucial for effective intervention and research.
• The Schwartz Cancer Fatigue Scale (SCFS) is a tool used to assess this symptom.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct additional construct validity testing of the Schwartz Cancer Fatigue Scale.
• To evaluate the psychometric properties of the SCFS in a heterogeneous sample.

Main Methods:

• Latent variable modeling was employed to assess the proposed scale structure.
• Exploratory techniques were used to refine the scale based on initial findings.
• Reliability and validity were evaluated using a sample of 303 participants.

Main Results:

• The original proposed model for the Schwartz Cancer Fatigue Scale was not supported by the data.
• A revised six-item, two-factor scale demonstrated strong model fit and factor loadings.
• Internal consistency reliability for the revised scale and its subscales exceeded 0.80.

Conclusions:

• The initial construct validity testing did not support the original Schwartz Cancer Fatigue Scale model.
• A refined six-item, two-factor structure of the scale shows promising reliability and validity.
• Preliminary evidence supports the use of the revised two-factor, six-item Schwartz Cancer Fatigue Scale.