Fatigue Scale for Children With Cancer: A Systematic Review and Reliability Generalization Meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Oncology
• Psychometrics
• Clinical Assessment

Background:

• Fatigue is a common and debilitating symptom in pediatric oncology patients.
• The Fatigue Scale is the most frequently used instrument to measure fatigue severity in this population.
• Understanding the reliability of the Fatigue Scale is crucial for accurate assessment and intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the overall reliability of the Fatigue Scale in pediatric oncology.
• To identify factors that may influence the reliability estimates of the Fatigue Scale.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across multiple databases (PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Medline, Scopus, Embase, Google Scholar).
• Reliability generalization meta-analyses were performed on data from 21 selected studies, encompassing 3,750 patients.
• A random-effects model was used to analyze Cronbach's alpha values.

Main Results:

• The Fatigue Scale demonstrated high overall reliability, with a mean weighted effect size of 0.915.
• Leukemia/lymphoma diagnosis was a significant moderator in parent-reported reliability.
• Non-English language use significantly moderated reliability in both parent and staff samples.

Conclusions:

• The Fatigue Scale is a reliable instrument for assessing fatigue in diverse pediatric oncology populations.
• Clinicians and researchers can confidently use the Fatigue Scale to guide interventions for fatigue relief.
• Consideration of specific factors like cancer type and language is important for interpreting scale results.