Validity of the supportive care needs survey short form 34 in the Amazon population

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the construct validity of the Supportive Care Needs Survey Short Form 34 (SCNS SF-34) in the population with cancer treated in Manaus, in the Brazilian Amazon region. Methods: Psychometric study carried out in an institution specialized in oncology, from April to June 2016. The data sources included a form with socio-demographic and clinical data, and the Brazilian version of the referred instrument. The sample was composed by 691 participants, considering a sample calculation of 20 patients per item. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, verification of internal consistency and evaluation of the invariance of the factor model according to gender, age and time of treatment were carried out. Results: Of the 691 patients, 92.6% were from the state of Amazonas, 72.6% were female (72.6%), 64.4% were under 60 years old, 54.4% were on treatment for more than six months, 55.6% had a tumor in the female reproductive system and 56.1% underwent surgery. There was a factorial solution of four domains and good adjustment indexes obtained by confirmatory factor analysis (c2 = 1.828.981; df = 520; c2/df = 3.51; p<0.001; CFI = 0.926; TLI= 0.918; RMSEA = 0.084 (90% CI= 0.082-0.090), with an invariant pattern across the different groups (gender, age group and duration of treatment). Conclusion: The Brazilian version of the Supportive Care Needs Survey Short Form 34, composed by 34 items distributed in four domains (Physical and Daily Living, Psychological, Sexuality and Care and Support) was valid and accurate to measure the care needs for individuals diagnosed with cancer in the Amazon region.