Psychometric validation of the Chinese version of the M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory—Head and Neck Module in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Abstract

ObjectiveThe Chinese version of the M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory—Head and Neck Module (MDASI-HN-C) has been linguistically validated. However, its psychometric properties have not been established yet. The purpose of the study was to psychometrically validate the MDASI-HN-C in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods130 Chinese NPC patients who were undergoing radiotherapy (RT) participated in this cross-sectional study. The content, convergent, and construct validity of the MDASI-HN-C were examined. The reliability of the instrument was tested by examining the internal consistency and test–retest reliability. ResultsCronbach's α coefficients ranged from 0.85 to 0.91 for the three subscales of the MDASI-HN-C. The 3-day test–retest reliability was acceptable with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) ranged from 0.52 to 0.71. The scale content validity index (S-CVI) was satisfactory (0.97). Subscale scores of the MDASI-HN-C were negatively correlated with the total score of the Chinese version of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy—Head and Neck Scale (FACT-H&N-C) as hypothesized (r ​= ​−0.484 to −0.563, all P ​< ​0.01). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed two factors for the 13 core and another two for the nine HNC-specific items. Only one factor was generated for the six interference items. ConclusionsThe MDASI-HN-C shows desirable psychometric properties for evaluating symptom burden in NPC patients, which can be used in both clinical and research contexts.