These two scales show similar attributes with reasonably good internal consistency and responsiveness .
Either the Fatigue Scale or PedsQL Multidimensional Fatigue Scale can be incorporated into clinical research .
CONTEXT Despite the recognized distressing symptom of fatigue in children with cancer , little information is available to assist in the selection of an instrument to be used to measure fatigue .
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were to 1 ) describe the instruments that have been used to measure cancer-related fatigue in children and adolescents and 2 ) summarize the psychometric properties of the most commonly used instruments used to measure fatigue in children and adolescents with cancer .
The Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale: an instrument for the evaluation of symptom prevalence, characteristics and distress.
The Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale ( MSAS ) is a new patient-rated instrument that was developed to provide multidimensional information about a diverse group of common symptoms . This study evaluated the reliability and validity of the MSAS in the cancer population . R and omly selected in patients and out patients ( n = 246 ) with prostate , colon , breast or ovarian cancer were assessed using the MSAS and a battery of measures that independently evaluate phenomena related to quality of life . Symptom prevalence in the 218 evaluable patients ranged from 73.9 % for lack of energy to 10.6 % for difficulty swallowing . Based on a content analysis , three symptoms were deleted and two were added ; the revised scale evaluates 32 physical and psychological symptoms . A factor analysis of variance yielded two factors that distinguished three major symptom groups and several subgroups . The major groups comprised psychological symptoms ( PSYCH ) , high prevalence physical symptoms ( PHYS H ) , and low prevalence physical symptoms ( PHYS L ) . Internal consistency was high in the PHYS H and PSYCH groups ( Cronback alpha coefficients of 0.88 and 0.83 , respectively ) , and moderate in the PHYS L group ( alpha = 0.58 ) . Although the severity , frequency and distress dimensions were highly intercorrelated , canonical correlations and other analyses demonstrated that multidimensional assessment ( frequency and distress ) augments information about the impact of symptoms . High correlations with clinical status and quality of life measures support the validity of the MSAS and indicate the utility of several subscale scores , including PSYCH , PHYS , and a brief Global Distress Index . The MSAS is a reliable and valid instrument for the assessment of symptom prevalence , characteristics and distress . It provides a method for comprehensive symptom assessment that may be useful when information about symptoms is desirable , such as clinical trials that incorporate quality of life measures or studies of symptom epidemiology
These two scales show similar attributes with reasonably good internal consistency and responsiveness .
Either the Fatigue Scale or PedsQL Multidimensional Fatigue Scale can be incorporated into clinical research .
CONTEXT Despite the recognized distressing symptom of fatigue in children with cancer , little information is available to assist in the selection of an instrument to be used to measure fatigue .
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were to 1 ) describe the instruments that have been used to measure cancer-related fatigue in children and adolescents and 2 ) summarize the psychometric properties of the most commonly used instruments used to measure fatigue in children and adolescents with cancer .