Design and testing of the use of a complementary and alternative therapies survey in women with breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To design and test a reliable and valid instrument to determine the frequency of use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies among women diagnosed with breast cancer.


METHODS
A descriptive cross-sectional survey.


METHODS
Women were recruited from the southeastern area and a rural midwestern area of the United States.


METHODS
105 predominantly Caucasian women (mean= 59 years of age) with a diagnosis of breast cancer.


METHODS
The Use of Complementary and Alternative Therapies Survey was designed with a content validity index, and reliability was determined with the coefficient alpha. Exploratory factor analysis using a principal components analysis identified primary components (factors) embedded within the survey. Frequency of CAM therapy use was calculated for 33 individual therapies listed on the survey and among three survey-defined subscales of CAM therapies (i.e., diet and nutritional supplements, stress-reducing techniques, and traditional and ethnic medicines).


METHODS
Psychometric properties of an instrument to assess frequency of use of CAM among women with breast cancer.


RESULTS
The reported prevalence of use of the individual CAM therapies varied considerably. The coefficient alpha estimate for the total survey was 0.86. Estimates for the individual hypothesized subscales were 0.67 for diet and nutritional supplements, 0.79 for stress-reducing techniques, and 0.80 for traditional and ethnic medicines. The principal components analysis resulted in a two-factor solution with nine items that loaded heavily and uniquely on a factor conceptualized as stress and anxiety reduction and six items that loaded heavily and uniquely on a factor conceptualized as dietary and physical manipulation. The remaining five items (vitamins and minerals, prayer and spiritual healing, massage, reflexology, and aromatherapy) indicated moderate loadings on factors one and two and, thus, were interpreted as equivocal items.


CONCLUSIONS
Preliminary data indicated that the instrument is reliable and valid. Additional work is needed to improve the range of items and to test the instrument with other populations.


CONCLUSIONS
Use of CAM by women with breast cancer is believed to be increasing. However, limited data exist on the frequency and predictors of its use in this patient population; therefore, reliable and valid instruments are needed to determine use. If nurses can determine which CAM therapies women are employing, nurses can educate patients with breast cancer on the safe use of these therapies.
Lengacher
Cecile A
CA
College of Nursing, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA. clengach@hsc.usf.edu
Bennett
Mary P
MP
Kipp
Kevin E
KE
Berarducci
Adrienne
A
Cox
Charles E
CE
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing* / Q000628:therapy*; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research / Q000379:methods*; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012107:Research Design; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D016387:Women's Health