Development and psychometric evaluation of the Symptom Self-Management Behaviors Tool for adolescents/young adults with cancer.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-2024
Identifier
DOI: 10.1017/S1478951523000810
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Adolescents and Young Adults (AYAs) with cancer experience symptoms related to disease and treatment. To manage these symptoms, they need to develop self-management behaviors, yet no tool exists to assess these behaviors. The Symptom Self-Management Behaviors Tool (SSMBT) was developed to meet this need.
METHODS: The study consisted of 2 phases. Phase 1 evaluated content validity, and Phase 2 evaluated reliability and validity. The SSMBT initially contained 14 items with 2 dimensions: (1) behaviors used to Manage Symptoms and (2) behaviors used to communicate with providers regarding symptoms. Four oncology professionals and 5 AYAs with cancer assessed the content validity. Evaluation of reliability and validity involved 61 AYAs with cancer. Reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha. Construct validity was assessed with factor analysis. Discriminant validity was assessed using associations with symptom severity and distress.
RESULTS: Content validity evaluation supported the importance of the items. Factor analysis supported a two-factor structure: Manage Symptoms (8 items) and Communicate with Healthcare Providers (4 items) subscales. Internal consistency reliability for the total SSMBT was acceptable with Cronbach's alpha = 0.74. Cronbach's alpha value for the Manage Symptoms subscale was
SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: Systematic assessment of behaviors AYAs use is critical for clinical practice and evaluate interventions to improve self-management. The SSMBT demonstrates initial reliability and validity but requires further evaluation for clinical interpretation and future use.
Journal Title
Palliat Support Care
Volume
22
Issue
2
First Page
274
Last Page
280
MeSH Keywords
Humans; Adolescent; Young Adult; Surveys and Questionnaires; Psychometrics; Reproducibility of Results; Self-Management; Neoplasms
Keywords
AYA; Internal consistency; Psychometrics; Symptom self-management; Validity
Recommended Citation
Stegenga K, Erickson JM, Linder L, Macpherson CF, Elswick RK Jr, Ameringer S. Development and psychometric evaluation of the Symptom Self-Management Behaviors Tool for adolescents/young adults with cancer. Palliat Support Care. 2024;22(2):274-280. doi:10.1017/S1478951523000810
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