Confirmatory factor analysis of the Fatigue Scale-Adolescent

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms reported by adolescents who have survived cancer. Numerous studies have indicated that it can exacerbate other late effects of cancer treatment and limit the survivors’ capacity to perform daily activity, consequently affecting their quality of life (QoL). It is therefore vital for healthcare professionals to develop interventions that can help reduce fatigue. First, however, the availability of a reliable and valid instrument accurately assessing fatigue is crucial before any intervention can be planned and evaluated. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Fatigue Scale for Adolescents (FS-A) and assess its factorial structure by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was employed in an outpatient clinic. A convenience sample of two hundred adolescents who have survived cancer were invited to participate. The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, content validity and construct validity of the Chinese version of the FS-A were assessed. Results: The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and intra-class correlation coefficient were 0.89 and 0.85 respectively. The content validity index was 0.92. There was a strong positive correlation (r = –0.58) on the scores between adolescents’ fatigue and depressiveness, but a strong negative correlation (r = 0.53) on scores between adolescents’ fatigue and QoL. The mean score of fatigue of the survivors was found to be significantly lower than that of children receiving cancer treatment, but significantly higher than that of their healthy counterparts. The result of CFA showed that a four-factor model was adequately fit the data obtained by the Chinese version of the FS-A, indicating that the factorial structure is the same as its original version. CONCLUSION: The result supports that the Chinese version of the FS-A is a reliable and valid instrument assessing fatigue among adolescents who have survived cancer.