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Validation study of the Arabic version of the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI-A)
Khaled Suleiman1, Mahmoud Al Kalaldeh1, Loai AbuSharour1
1School of Nursing, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.
Background:
Fatigue is the most reported and most distressing symptom among patients with cancer. However, no questionnaire that measures fatigue and fatigue interference with life has been translated into Arabic.
Aims:
This study aimed to translate and validate the Arabic version of the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI-A).
Methods:
The BFI was translated into Arabic using the forward-backward translation technique. This cross-sectional study collected data from cancer patients through a self-administered questionnaire that included the BFI-A, Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Zung Depression Scale (ZDS), MD Anderson Symptom Inventory total score (MDASI), and Medical Outcome Study Short Form 36 (SF-36) Vitality Subscale. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used including mean, standard deviation, internal consistency, and correlation coefficient using Pearson's correlation.
Results:
A total of 79 patients were recruited in Amman, Jordan, in 2015. Mean of the total BFI-A was 4.01 (2.4), showing that 83.5% had nonsevere fatigue. Cronbach's α coefficient of the BFI-A was 0.93. The correlations between total BFI-A scores and BFI-A items were significant (P < 0.05) and ranged from 0.75 to 0.86. BFI-A showed a significant correlation (P< 0.05) with the following tools: ISI = 0.70, ZDS = 0.69, MDASI = 0.75, and SF-36 Vitality Subscale = -0.57.
Conclusions:
This study suggests that the BFI-A is a reliable and valid tool to assess fatigue among Arab cancer patients.
