Validation of the Amharic Version of the M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory and Assessment of Symptoms in Ethiopian Cancer Patients

Abstract

ContextCancer patients often face a variety of symptoms that impact their quality of life. The management of these symptoms is highly dependent on the accurate appraisal of their severity through the use of a standardized symptom assessment tool. The M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI), developed in English, is one of such tools that contain 13 core cancer related symptoms that can easily be rated on a scale of 0–10. ObjectivesThe present study tried to develop and validate the Amharic language version of the MDASI (MDASI-Am). MethodsThe MDASI-Am was developed by the standard forward/backward translation of the original English version of the MDASI. The MDASI-Am was completed by or administered to 145 randomly selected Ethiopian cancer patients. Factor analysis, Cronbach α coefficient, and mean comparison, respectively, were used to establish construct validity, internal consistency, and known-group validity (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status). ResultsFactor analysis identified three symptom constructs interpreted as general, gastrointestinal, and neuropsychiatric symptoms, with Cronbach α coefficients of 0.70, 0.80, and 0.82, respectively. The MDASI-Am significantly detected differences in symptom severity and interference levels in patient groups categorized according to Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (P < 0.01), establishing known-group validity. The most prevalent severe symptoms identified in the current sample were pain, sadness, numbness, distress, and fatigue. ConclusionThe MDASI-Am is a valid and reliable tool for measuring symptom severity and symptom interference with daily living in Ethiopian cancer patients.