The psychometric properties of the Greek version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory in cancer patients receiving palliative care.
OBJECTIVE
To validate the Greek version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) in a sample of cancer patients.


METHODS
The scale was administered twice, with a 3-day interval, to 99 eligible patients with cancer. Together with the Greek version of STAI scale, the patients also completed the anxiety subscale from the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HAD).


METHODS
Factor analysis yielded a three-factor solution, explaining 47.143% of the variance. Cronbach alpha for three scales was between 0.729 and 0.852. Inter-scale correlations were moderate-to-high and ranged from 0.282 to 0.563 (p < 0.0005, p < 0.005). The assessment of the relationships among the Greek STAI scales and HAD-Anxiety showed statistically significant correlations between them (r ranged between 0.428 and 0.596, p < 0.0005). The test/retest reliability of scale (Pearson's 'r'), showed that the coefficient agreement ranged between 0.85 and 0.90 (p < 0.0005). Univariate analysis revealed significant correlations between female gender, metastasis, performance status, chemotherapy, mild opioids and low education level with increased anxiety.


CONCLUSIONS
These results support that the Greek version of STAI is an instrument with satisfactory psychometric properties, and is a valid research tool for Greek cancer patients.
Mystakidou
Kyriaki
K
Pain Relief and Palliative Care Unit, Department of Radiology, Areteion Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Athens, Greece. mistakidou@yahoo.com
Tsilika
Eleni
E
Parpa
Efi
E
Sakkas
Pavlos
P
Vlahos
Lambros
L
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010166:Palliative Care; D011594:Psychometrics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires