[Psychometric properties of the Dutch Fatigue Scale and the Dutch Exertion Fatigue Scale: Brazilian version].
Fatigue is a human response in varied acute and chronic conditions and also in general population. This article reports a study conducted to estimate reliability and validity of the Dutch Fatigue Scale (DUFS) and the Dutch Exertion Fatigue Scale (DEFS) adapted for Brazilian use. Three-hundred heart failure patients and 64 healthier volunteers answered the DUFS and DEFS translated into Portuguese. Factorial analysis of DUFS and DEFS items yield a solution with one factor for each scale (explained variance = 53.9%), and good reliability estimates were obtained by the Chronbach's alpha (DUFS=.85 e DEFS=.92). In the patient sample, scales scores were positively associated with heart failure functional class (DUFS and DEFS p=.00), depression scores (DUFS r s=.63; p=.00 and DEFS r s=.55; p=.00), and sleep disturbance (DUFS and DEFS p=.00). Brazilian versions of DUFS and DEFS presented psychometric properties similar to those of the original ones.
Universidade de São Paulo, Escola de Enfermagem, São Paulo, SP.
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Diná de Almeida Lopes Monteiro da
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D001938:Brazil; D005221:Fatigue / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D011594:Psychometrics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires