The Therapy-Related Symptom Checklist for Children as a Method for Monitoring Symptoms in Chinese Children With Cancer: Linguistic Validation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation

Abstract

BackgroundChildren with cancer commonly experience severe symptoms. These may be managed by routine monitoring of their occurrence andseverity using a validated tool. Aim: This study aimed to translate and culturally validate a simplified Chinese version of the Therapy-Related Symptom Checklist for Children (TRSC-C). Design: Qualitative method.Participants and setting: We recruited children with cancer from a pediatric department of a tertiary hospital in Guangzhou, China. MethodsWe used forward and backward translation by bilingual translators and standardized cognitive interviewing for linguistic validation and to check cross-cultural adaptation. A panel of experts assessed content validity. ResultsAgreement was reached on cultural applicability, suitability for intended purpose, and clarification of the pre-test version. The content validity was good (indices ranged from 0.80-0.90). Fifteen Chinese children with cancer (aged 8-18 years) were included in cognitive interviews. The cognitive debriefing showed that the instrument was easy to understand and appropriate for monitoring symptoms in children with cancer. Some words were adjusted following participants’ comments. ConclusionsThe simplified Chinese version of the TRSC-C was semantically and conceptually equivalent to the original version. Children between 8-18 years old can use this instrument to report symptoms and share their experiences about their disease and treatment.