Cancer-related fatigue in Italian cancer patients: validation of the Italian version of the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI).
OBJECTIVE
Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is one of the most common symptoms experienced by cancer patients (CPs). The Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) is a reliable instrument to assess CRF in CPs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the BFI (BFI-I).


METHODS
The BFI-I was developed by using the forward-backward translation approach. The psychometric properties of the BFI-I were assessed in terms of acceptability, internal consistency, and validity. Outpatient CPs filled in BFI-I along with the Medical Outcome Study Quality of Life Short Form 36 (SF36). Demographic and health data were collected.


RESULTS
The BFI-I had an overall Cronbach alpha for the nine items of 0.94. The inter-item mean correlation was 0.64, and coefficients ranged from 0.47 to 0.81 for the nine items. The results of the factor analysis suggested a 1-factor solution explaining 68 % of the variance, supporting the hypothesis of unidimensionality of the BFI-I. The BFI-I score was compared to SF36 subscales score to evaluate concurrent validity. An expected inverse correlation between the BFI-I and the vitality subscale of the SF36 was observed (r = -0.67, 95 % confidence interval -0.73 to -0.59). The correlation with the other subscales of the SF36 ranged between -0.56 and -0.13. Discriminant validity analysis showed the BFI-I mean score significantly increased with increasing Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group values (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
BFI-I is a clinical instrument with satisfactory psychometric properties to assess CRF in Italian CPs.
U.O. Regional Palliative Care Network, IRCCS A.O.U. San Martino-IST Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132, Genoa, Italy. gianluca.catania@istge.it
Gianluca
G
Catania
Carol
C
Bell
Simona
S
Ottonelli
Monia
M
Marchetti
Jane
J
Bryce
Alberto
A
Grossi
Massimo
M
Costantini
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005221:Fatigue / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014177:Translations; D055815:Young Adult