Attitudes scale toward cancer-related cognitive changes - an initial Colombian validation.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Oncology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Cancer patients often experience cognitive changes, impacting their quality of life.
• Assessing attitudes toward these cognitive changes is crucial for developing supportive interventions.
• Existing tools may not adequately capture the nuances of cancer-related cognitive changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an initial tool for measuring attitudes toward cancer-related cognitive changes.
• To provide a reliable instrument for researchers and clinicians assessing cognitive concerns in cancer survivors.
• To explore the underlying dimensions of attitudes towards cancer-related cognitive changes.

Main Methods:

• Literature review to identify key dimensions.
• Content validity assessment by eight expert judges.
• Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) using parallel analysis, ULS estimator, and polychoric correlations.
• Analysis of sociodemographic variables for statistical differences and effect sizes.
• Data analysis performed using Factor software and R statistical package.

Main Results:

• A two-dimensional structure emerged: Awareness and Judgments, showing a good statistical fit (RMSEA=0.042, SRMR=0.02, CFI=0.99, TLI=0.98).
• A moderate correlation (r=0.612) was observed between the two dimensions.
• Optimal reliability indices were achieved for the scale and its dimensions.
• No significant statistical differences were found across sociodemographic variables.

Conclusions:

• An initial valid tool for measuring attitudes toward cancer-related cognitive changes was developed.
• The instrument provides evidence of content validity and internal structure.
• This tool can potentially enhance the prevention and management of cancer-related cognitive changes.
• Further research is recommended to gather additional validity evidence for the scale.