Evaluation of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) Spanish Version 4 in South America: classic psychometric and item response theory analyses.
BACKGROUND
The FACT-G has gone through many validation studies. However, little research has been conducted in South American Spanish speaking patients. The present study aimed to evaluate the FACT-G Spanish Version 4 in Uruguayan cancer patients.


METHODS
The data analyzed were collected from 309 patients, with various tumor sites, at different stages of disease and receiving different treatments.


RESULTS
Reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's coefficient alpha and showed high internal consistency for each of the subscales and its total scale (range =.78 -.91) of the FACT-G. The FACT-G total score also showed significant mean differences among known groups (performance status, in vs. outpatients) when tested by ANOVA and t-test. When the tumor stage (Local and Regional vs. Metastatic disease) was used as a clinical anchor, the FACT-G total score, the Physical Well-being (PWB), and Functional Well-being (FWB) subscale scores showed mean differences, ranging from 5 to 10 points in a scale from 0-108 (effect sizes = 0.30-0.60). Item response theory (IRT)-based evaluation using mean square fit statistics (.60-1.4) criteria showed that only two items misfit: "Estoy satisfecho(a) con mi vida sexual" (I am satisfied with my sex life) and "Estoy satisfecho(a) de cómo estoy enfrentando mi enfermedad" (I am satisfied with how I am coping with my illness).


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicated that, using both traditional and IRT approaches, the Spanish FACT-G has good reliability and validity to be used as a QOL instrument among Uruguayan cancer patients.
Dapueto
Juan J
JJ
Departamento de Psicología Médica, Facultad de Medicina - Universidad de República, Uruguay. jdapueto@hc.edu.uy
Francolino
Carla
C
Servente
Liliana
L
Chang
Chih-Hung
CH
Gotta
Irene
I
Levin
Roberto
R
Abreu
María Del Carmen
Mdel C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008037:Linguistics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011582:Psychological Theory; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012647:Self-Assessment; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013019:South Africa; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014177:Translations