Validity and reliability of the Constipation Assessment Scale

Area of Science:

• Oncology Nursing
• Pharmacology
• Clinical Assessment Tools

Background:

• Constipation is a common adverse effect of neurotoxic chemotherapy, analgesics, and other medications.
• Accurate constipation assessment is crucial for nurses managing cancer patients, especially with the shift towards community-based care.
• A validated and reliable tool is needed to assess constipation in at-risk patient populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the validity and reliability of the Constipation Assessment Scale (CAS).
• To determine the CAS's ability to differentiate between constipated and non-constipated individuals.
• To assess the CAS's capacity to distinguish varying degrees of constipation severity.

Main Methods:

• The study involved two groups: 32 healthy working adults (control) and 32 adults at risk for constipation (patient group).
• Participants completed the eight-item Constipation Assessment Scale (CAS).
• Test-retest reliability was assessed in 16 healthy adults by administering the CAS twice with a 1-hour interval.

Main Results:

• The CAS demonstrated significant differences in symptom intensity between the control and patient groups (t = 6.32, p < 0.0001), confirming construct validity.
• Significant differences were found between patient subgroups receiving morphine versus Vinca alkaloids (t = 2.54, p < 0.01), indicating sensitivity to symptom severity.
• The CAS showed high test-retest reliability (r = 0.98) and was completed in approximately 2 minutes.

Conclusions:

• The Constipation Assessment Scale (CAS) is a valid and reliable tool for assessing constipation presence and severity.
• The CAS can effectively differentiate between individuals with and without constipation, as well as between moderate and severe symptom intensity.
• This scale provides a practical and efficient method for nurses to assess constipation in at-risk patients, particularly those undergoing cancer treatment.