title: Psychometric properties of an Australian supportive care needs assessment tool for Indigenous patients with cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are significant disparities in cancer outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Identifying the unmet supportive care needs of Indigenous Australians with cancer is imperative to improve their cancer care. The purpose of the current study was to test the psychometric properties of a supportive cancer care needs assessment tool for Indigenous people (SCNAT-IP) with cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The SCNAT-IP was administered to 248 Indigenous Australians diagnosed with a range of cancer types and stages, and who received treatment in 1 of 4 Queensland hospitals. All 39 items were assessed for ceiling and floor effects and were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis to determine construct validity. Identified factors were assessed for internal consistency and convergent validity to validated psychosocial tools.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 4-factor structure (physical and psychological, hospital care, information and communication, and practical and cultural needs) explaining 51% of the variance. Internal consistency of the 4 subscales was good, with Cronbach alpha reliability coefficients ranging from .70 to .89. Convergent validity was supported by significant correlations between the SCNAT-IP with the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer (correlation coefficient [r] = 0.60; P<.001) and the Cancer Worry Chart (r = 0.58; P<.001) and a moderately strong negative correlation with the Assessment of Quality of Life questionnaire (r = -0.56; P<.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data provide initial support for the SCNAT-IP, a measure of multiple supportive care needs domains specific to Indigenous Australian patients with cancer undergoing treatment.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Health Systems Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Spring Hill, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Gail
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Garvey
authors.affiliation: Gynaecological Cancers Group, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia.|School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Vanessa L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Beesley
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.|Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Janda
authors.affiliation: Statistics Unit, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: O'Rourke
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Health Systems Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Spring Hill, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Vincent Y F
authors.initials: VY
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Anna L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Hawkes
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Health and Molecular Sciences, James Cook University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Jacinta K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Elston
authors.affiliation: Cancer and Population Studies Group, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia.|Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute and University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Adele C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Green
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Health Systems Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Spring Hill, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Health Systems Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Spring Hill, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Patricia C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Valery
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D012944:Social Support; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Indigenous; cancer; instrument validation; needs assessment; supportive care