Validation of the Arabic Version of the Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Assessment Tool

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy results in multidimensional neurological and muscular symptoms, which interfere with the patients' daily life.

Examine the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy assessment tool (CIPNAT) among adult cancer patients.

A descriptive study design was used. A convenience sample of 210 patients was assigned to two groups: 135 who received chemotherapies of known neurotoxic potential and 75 who served as a comparison group. Translation and back-translation considering cross-cultural issues to produce the Arabic version of CIPNAT was used. Test-retest and internal consistency reliability were used to test the reliability of the tool, whereas for the validity, content and construct validity were assessed.

Test-retest scores for the overall scale (r = 0.98, p = < .001), for the symptom experience subscale (r = 0.97, p = <.001), and for the interference subscale (r = 0.96, p = < .001) all showed evidence of reliability. Cronbach α coefficients were 0.97, 0.96, and 0.95 for the total scores, symptoms experience, and interference scales, respectively. Items to total correlation ranged from moderate to strong (0.55-0.81). The Content Validity Index was 0.83. The data support the evidence of discriminant validity, as significant differences were found between the groups with regard to symptom experience (t = 8.51, p = < .001), interference (t = 5.60, p = <.001), and total score (t = 7.88, p = < .001).

The Arabic version of CIPNAT showed adequate reliability and validity to screen for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy symptoms and their interference in Arab countries. Further studies are needed to evaluate concurrent validity.