Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 21, 2026

Measuring the Motor Aspect of Cancer-Related Fatigue using a Handheld Dynamometer
Published on: February 20, 2020
Screening Properties of the Diagnostic Criteria for Cancer-Related Fatigue
Susanne Kuhnt1, Michael Friedrich2, Thomas Schulte3
1Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany, susanne.kuhnt@medizin.uni-leipzig.de.
Background:
Within the theoretical framework of the ICD diagnostic criteria of cancer-related fatigue, we aim to investigate how those criteria can be used for screening purposes.
Methods:
Fatigue was assessed in a mixed sample of 1,225 cancer patients during their stay in a rehabilitation clinic using four different fatigue measures and the diagnostic criteria (Criterion A; DC-A). Psychometric evaluations (e.g., acceptance, reliability, validity, item analyses) were conducted for the sum score and for all items of the diagnostic criteria.
Results:
A total of 678 (57.1%) patients tested positive according to the DC-A. The sum score of the DC-A had good reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.87) and validity, corresponded closely with other fatigue scales, and, with less than 1% missing values, showed a high degree of patients' acceptance. The highest accuracy (approx. 0.80) and Youden indices (>0.55) were found for the items "Difficulties completing daily tasks" (A9), "Struggle to overcome inactivity" (A7), "Decreased motivation or interests" (A4), and "Unrefreshing sleep" (A6).
Conclusion:
The DC-A proved to be a well-accepted, easy to use, and reliable tool for measuring the severity of fatigue. In this paper, we make suggestions for the use of single items of the DC-A as a short and economical screening tool.
Related Concept Videos
Criteria for Causality: Bradford Hill Criteria - II
Criteria for Causality: Bradford Hill Criteria - I
Fatigue
Muscle Recovery and Fatigue
Fatigue Strength of Concrete
Yield Criteria for Ductile Materials under Plane Stress
The Maximum Shearing Stress Criterion, also known as...

