Validation of the Belief Into Action Scale (BIAC) in Portuguese Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy

Abstract

Background: A large proportion of the world’s population have religious beliefs, with 84.0% indicating an affiliation with a specific religious group. Few comprehensive measures to assess religious involvement currently exist in Portugal, particularly for the assessment of religiosity in cancer patients. Objective: To translate, adapt, and validate the 10-item Belief Into Action Scale (BIAC) in Portuguese cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Method: The methodological guidelines provided by Sousa and Rojjanasrirat were used to examine the psychometric properties of the BIAC. Results: The linguistic and conceptual equivalence of the scale was determined. The internal consistency was acceptable (Cronbach’s α =.86). Varimax rotation with Kaiser normalization identified two factors made up of nine items. Conclusion: The European Portuguese version of the BIAC is a reliable and valid measure for assessing religiosity in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy to provide holistic care.