Reliability and Validity of the Suffering Scale of Family of Patients with Terminal Cancer

Kyung Ah Kang

doi:10.5388/jkon.2011.11.1.49

Journal List > J Korean Oncol Nurs > v.11(1) > 1044437

Go to TopGo to Top Go to BottomGo to Bottom

TOOLS

Kang: Reliability and Validity of the Suffering Scale of Family of Patients with Terminal Cancer

Original Article

Journal of Korean Oncology Nursing

Journal of Korean Oncology Nursing 2011; 11(1): 49-57.

Published online: 14 March 2011

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5388/jkon.2011.11.1.49

Reliability and Validity of the Suffering Scale of Family of Patients with Terminal Cancer

Kyung Ah Kang

Professor, Department of Nursing, Sahmyook University, Seoul, Korea.

Address reprint requests to: Kang, Kyung Ah. Department of Nursing, Sahmyook University, 26-21 Gongneung 2-dong, Nowon-gu, Seoul 139-742, Korea. Tel: 82-2-3399-1585, Fax: 82-2-3399-1594, kangka@syu.ac.kr

Received 4 December 2010 Accepted 26 January 2011

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to test the reliability and validity of an instrument to measure suffering of family of patients with terminal cancer.

Methods

This research was a methodological study processed as follows: 1) The preliminary 32 items were developed based a conceptual framework of suffering for patients with cancer. 2) The content was validated by an expert panel (n=24) and the family of patients with terminal cancers (n=33). 3) The instrument was validated by survey (n=92). Finally, 29 items were selected in developing final version of the scale.

Results

Seven factors were extracted through factor analysis: 'economical distress', 'loss of meaning in life', 'feeling of social isolation', 'emotional distress', 'burnout', 'guilty feeling', and 'physical discomfort'. These factors explained 66.94% of the total variance. Cronbach's alpha and Guttman Split-half coefficient of the 29 items were .93 and .92. respectively.

Conclusion

This scale identified as a valid and reliable tool with a high degree of reliability and validity. It can be effectively utilized to assess the degree of suffering of family in palliative care settings.

Keywords: Neoplasms, Family, Stress, Psychological, Instrumentation

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1

Conceptual framework.

Table 1

Suffering of family of patients with cancer (Items for content validity)

CVI, content validity index.

Table 2

Corrected item-total correlation (N=92)

CV, content validity index.

Table 3

Result of KMO & Bartlett's test of sphericity (N=92)

Table 4

Result of factor analysis (N=92)

Table 5

Each factor's reliability (N=92)

References

1. Kang KA. Concept analysis and development of suffering: application of hybrid model method. J Nurs Acad Soc. 1996. 26:290–303.

2. Korea National Statistical Office. Annual report on the cause of death statistics (Based on vital registration). 2008. Daejeon: Korea National Statistical Office.

3. Folkman S, Chesney MA, Christopher-Richards A. Stress and coping in caregiving partners of men with AIDS. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 1994. 17:35–53.

4. Nijboer C, Tempelaar R, Sanderman R, Triemstra M, Spruijt RJ, Ban den bos GA. Cancer and caregiving: the impact on the caregiver's health. Psychooncology. 1998. 7:3–13.

5. Goldstein NE, Concato J, Fried TR, Kasl SV, Johnson-Jurzeler RB. Factors associated with caregiver burden among caregivers of ill patients with cancer. J Palliat Care. 2004. 20:38–43.

6. Choi ES. Experiences of family caregivers with terminal cancer patients [dissertation]. 2006. Seoul: Seoul National Univ..

7. Oliviers D, Monroe B. Death, dying, and social differences. 2004. Oxford University Press.

8. Jung JG, Kim JS, Kim JS, Kim SS, Kang DS, Kim SM, et al. Quality of life among family caregivers of terminal cancer patient. Korean J Hosp Palliat Care. 2006. 9:1–10.

9. Emanuel EJ, Fairclough DL, Slutsman J, Emanuel LL. Understanding economic and other burdens of terminal illness: the experience of patients and their caregivers. Ann Int Med. 2000. 132:451–459.

10. Webb M. The good death. Seven: bearing the burden, Families in distress. 1997. New York: Bantam Book.

11. Kim HS, Yu SJ, Kwon SY, Park YH. Differences in patients and family caregivers' ratings of cancer pain. Korean J Hosp Palliat Care. 2008. 11:42–50.

12. Kim HC, Kim ES, Park KH. Needs of patients and their families in hospice care unit. Korean J Hosp Palliat Care. 2007. 10:137–144.

13. Kang KA, Kim SJ, Kim YS. The need for hospice care in families of patients with cancer. J Korean Community Nurs. 2004. 20:277–284.

14. Kang KA. Development of a tool to measure suffering in patients with cancer. J Korean Acad Nurs. 1999. 29:1365–1378.

15. Kang KA, Kim SJ. Development of needs assessment instrument for hospice care in families of the patients with cancer. J Korean Biol Nurs Sci. 2005. 7:57–68.

16. Lynn MR. Determinatin and quantification of content validity. Nurs Res. 1986. 35:382–385.

17. Lee EO, Lim NY, Park HA. Statistical analysis and nursing·medical research. 1998. Seoul: Soomoon Publishing Co.

18. Han SS, Lee SC, Ku JC. Health and medical statistical analysis. 2008. Seoul: Fornurse.

19. Kang BS, Serk KS, Oh YJ. SPSS/PC+ for statistical analysis. 1993. Seoul: Trade Management Press.

20. Kim SC, Jeoung DW, Son HR. Depression level among family caregivers of hospice patients. Korean J Fam Med. 2009. 30:175–181.

21. Ha JS, Yea SJ, Park SH, Kim I, Shin SS, Bae CY, et al. A study of the relationship between health risk factors and family function. J Korean Acad Fam Med. 1993. 14:647–652.

22. Andrews SC. Caregiver burden and symptom distress in people with cancer receiving hospice care. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2001. 28:1469–1474.

23. Murray SA, Kendall M, Boyd K, Grant L, Highet G, Sheikh A. Archetypal trajectories of social, psychological, and spiritual wellbeing and distress in family care givers of patients with lung cancer: secondary analysis of serial qualitative interviews. BMJ. 2010. 340:c2581.

24. Chan CW, Chang AM. Stress associated with tasks for family caregivers of patients with cancer in Hong Kong. Cancer Nurs. 1999. 22:260–265.

25. Hull MM. Sources of stress for hospice caregiving families. Hosp J. 1990. 6:29–54.

26. Han KH, Jung JG, Oh SK, Kim JS, Kim SS, Kim SY. Depression level among family caregivers of terminal cancer patients. J Korean Acad Fam Med. 2005. 26:752–758.

27. Meyers JL, Gray LN. The relationships between family primary caregiver characteristics and satisfaction with hospice care, quality of life, and burden. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2001. 28:73–82.

28. Cohen CA, Colantonio A, Vernich L. Positive aspects of caregiving: rounding out the caregiver experience. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2002. 17:184–188.

29. Patterson LB, Dorfman LT. Family support for hospice caregivers. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2002. 19:315–323.

TOOLS

Similar articles