Evaluation of the Modified Reproductive Concerns Scale Among Emerging Adult Cancer Survivors

The reproductive concerns of emerging adult survivors of childhood cancer are not well described, and valid measurement tools tailored to this population are lacking. The purpose of this analysis was to evaluate a modified version of the Reproductive Concerns Scale (mRCS) among male and female survivors of childhood cancer. This is a secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data collected from patients enrolled on an infertility-educational intervention study. Participants completed the mRCS at baseline. Cancer treatment data were abstracted from participant medical records. Principal component analyses were conducted to evaluate the factor structure of the mRCS for males, females, and the entire sample. Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha. Open-ended responses were analyzed and used to assess the validity of relevant quantitative items on the mRCS. The sample consisted of N = 98 participants who were an average of 19.1 (±1.1) years of age, 45.9% were male, and 61.2% were non-Hispanic white. Factor analyses revealed three domains: Fertility Concerns (Cronbach's alpha = 0.77), Health Concerns (α = 0.74), and Information Seeking (α = 0.57). Sex-specific factor analyses identified differences in scale items for males. The open-ended responses aligned well with participant scores on the Fertility Concerns subscale. The mRCS consists of three subscales relevant to emerging adult survivors of childhood cancer. Further analysis by sex suggests that separate scales for males and females are warranted. Future research is warranted to determine the clinical utility of using the mRCS as a screening tool to identify and address reproductive concerns among emerging adult survivors.