Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2026
09:25
The Treadmill Fatigue Test: A Simple, High-throughput Assay of Fatigue-like Behavior for the Mouse
Published on: May 31, 2016
Assessing fatigue in persons with cancer: an instrument development and testing study
Horng-Shiuann Wu1, Maryellen McSweeney
1Department of Community and Family Medicine, Saint Louis University, Missouri, USA. wuh8@hotmail.com
Cancer
|September 21, 2004
Summary
A new 15-item scale effectively measures cancer-related fatigue (CRF) from the patient
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Psychometrics
- Patient-Reported Outcomes
Background:
- Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a common and distressing symptom for cancer patients.
- Accurate assessment of CRF from the patient's viewpoint is crucial for effective management.
- Existing measures may not fully capture the subjective experience of CRF.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a patient-centered instrument for assessing cancer-related fatigue.
- To evaluate the psychometric properties of this new CRF measure in chemotherapy patients.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative methods (interviews, diaries) generated initial items.
- Content experts and cognitive interviews refined the items.
- Psychometric analysis (factor analysis, reliability, validity) was performed on 82 breast cancer patients.
Main Results:
- A 15-item, 5-point scale was developed, showing a one-factor solution.
- High reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.95) was demonstrated.
- Strong convergent (0.84) and predictive (0.83) validity were found.
Conclusions:
- The newly developed CRF scale demonstrates promising psychometric properties.
- The study highlights the utility of mixed methods in instrument development.
- Further confirmatory testing is recommended to validate the instrument.
