Psychometric Properties of the Turkish Adaptive Coping with Disease Scale in Adult Cancer Patients

We evaluated the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Adaptive Coping with Disease Scale (ACDS) questionnaire for Turkish patients with cancer.

A total of 175 patients with cancer aged 18 to 65 years were referred to a university hospital in Ankara, Türkiye. The patients, selected by convenience sampling in 2024, completed the Descriptive Form and Turkish versions of the ACDS questionnaire. The construct validity of the scale was assessed through confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory factor analysis. Pearson's correlation analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationships between item-total scores and item-subscale total scores. The reliability of the scale was determined using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. In addition, the scale language validity and test-retest reliability were evaluated. The data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS Statistics and AMOS 25.

The scale demonstrated high validity (content validity index = 0.97, interclass coefficient = 0.721, P < .001), indicating high stability and consistency of test scores over time. The comparative fit index confirmed the six-factor structure of the ACDS scale, excluding item 13. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin coefficient was 0.738, and Bartlett's test yielded a value of 2305.623 (P < .001). Fit indices indicated a good model fit (χ²/degrees of freedom = 1.98, root mean square error of approximation = 0.074, comparative fit index = 0.815). The scale exhibited acceptable internal consistency, with an overall Cronbach's alpha of 0.78. The total explained variance ratio was 57.14%.

The Turkish version of ACDS in patients with cancer is a reliable and valid questionnaire that can be used in clinics and research.

Nurses can use the ACDS to assess the level of disease-related stress experienced by patients with cancer. In addition, they can guide the patients to develop effective coping methods and a better quality of life.