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Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Suffering Pictogram for Brazilian cancer patients
Ana Cláudia Mesquita Garcia1, Eliza Mara das Chagas Paiva1, Angela Bezerra Perlamagna1,2
1Interdisciplinary Center for Studies in Palliative Care, School of Nursing, Federal University of Alfenas, Alfenas, Brazil.
Background:
Assessing the multidimensional nature of suffering in palliative care is challenging. The Suffering Pictogram (SP) is a visual instrument developed to facilitate the communication and measurement of this experience in clinical practice.
Objectives:
To translate, cross-culturally adapt, and validate the SP into Brazilian Portuguese (SP-BR) for cancer patients.
Methods:
A sample of 222 cancer patients completed the SP-BR and the FACIT-Sp-12 scale. Psychometric properties were assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha), and convergent validity (Pearson's correlations).
Results:
EFA confirmed a unidimensional structure (loadings 0.40-0.73; variance explained 34.42%). Internal consistency was robust (α = 0.80). The SP-BR showed a moderate correlation with the FACIT-Sp-12 (r = -0.50, p ≤ 0.001).
Conclusion:
The SP-BR is a validated, unidimensional Brazilian Portuguese instrument suitable for holistic suffering assessment in clinical settings.
Significance Of Results:
The SP-BR is a brief tool for holistic suffering assessment, making it suitable for efficient screening in clinical and research settings, including those with limited resources.
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