Construction and validation of a quality of life tool for pediatric patients of Indian origin with cancer: A single-center prospective study

Abstract

Background: Quality of life (QOL) is an important clinical end point in pediatric oncology. The lack of a culture-specific measure to assess the QOL of Indian pediatric patients with cancer has led to this study.Objectives: This study was aimed at constructing and validating a QOL tool for Indian pediatric patients with cancer.Materials and Methods: This was a single-center prospective study conducted at the Cancer Institute, WIA, in Chennai, India, between July and October 2013. The study was conducted in two phases. Phase I consisted of generating and drafting of items, face validity, and field and pilot testing. Phase II involved establishing the validity and reliability of the measure. A total of 264 pediatric cancer patients aged 10–17 years were included for the construction of this measure. Factorial analysis, “t” test, Spearman's product moment correlation, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient were employed for data analysis.Results: A reliable, valid, and internally consistent measure containing 31 items named Cancer Institute Pediatric Oncology Quality of Life Questionnaire-31 (CI-Ped Onc QLQ 31) was developed to assess the QOL of pediatric patients with cancer. The Cronbach's alpha and the Guttman split-half reliability of the developed measure were 0.83 and 0.80, respectively. The four factors that emerged after factor analysis (eigenvalues ranging from 7.495 to 1.495 with 46.53% variance) were grouped into three: “physical well-being,” “psychosocial well-being,” and “treatment-related concerns.” Discriminant validity was established within the gender and treatment status.Conclusions: The CI-Ped Onc QLQ 31 was constructed and validated. It was found to be suitable for pediatric patients of Indian origin with cancer. This measure can be used for screening by health professionals across various spectra, to plan interventions and for future research in the field.