title: Development of the Hirai Cancer Fatigue Scale: Testing its reliability and validity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to develop the Hirai Cancer Fatigue Scale (HCFS) to assess the fatigue experienced by cancer patients, and to verify its reliability and validity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Based on qualitative research about the perception of fatigue by Japanese cancer patients, we developed a questionnaire. The content validity was confirmed by 5 expert oncology nurses and 5 oncologists. 281 Japanese cancer patients participated in this study. Construct validity was analyzed using factor analysis, and internal consistency was analyzed using Cronbach's α coefficient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A 15-item scale with 3 dimensions, "physical/mental sensation", "activity-related sensation" and "cognitive sensation," was developed by factor analysis. This scale had an overall Cronbach's α coefficient of .943 and a test-retest reliability coefficient of r = .820 (p < 0.01), confirming the high reliability of the scale. The correlation coefficient was r = .759 (p < 0.01) between HCFS and abridged Profile of Mood States-Fatigue (POMS-F), and r = .763 (p < 0.01) between HCFS and Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS), both showing high correlations and confirming criterion-related validity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HCFS enables reliable and valid evaluation of Japanese cancer patients' fatigue. Use of the HCFS would assist in convenient self-evaluation of fatigue, and would allow information to be effectively provided to healthcare professionals. It could also be used for outcome evaluation in an intervention study.
authors: Faculty of Medicine, School of Nursing, Tokyo Medical University, 6-1-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8402, Japan. Electronic address: k-hirai@tokyo-med.ac.jp.
authors: Kazue
authors: K
authors: Hirai
authors: Department of Nursing, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Science, 3-29-21 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8514, Japan. Electronic address: kkanda@gunma-u.ac.jp.
authors: Kiyoko
authors: K
authors: Kanda
authors: Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Science, Akita University, 1-1-1 Hondou, Akita, Akita, 010-8543, Japan. Electronic address: jtakagai@hs.akita-u.ac.jp.
authors: Junko
authors: J
authors: Takagai
authors: The Jikei University School of Nursing, 8-3-1, Kokuryocho, Chofu, Tokyo, 182-8570, Japan. Electronic address: mai-hoso@sea.plala.or.jp.
authors: Mai
authors: M
authors: Hosokawa
mesh_terms: D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Cancer; Fatigue; Measurement; Quality of life; Symptom assessment