scholarly journals Assessing the acceptability, reliability, and validity of the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30) in Kenyan cancer patients: a cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmine Davda ◽  
Hillary Kibet ◽  
Emmah Achieng ◽  
Lawrence Atundo ◽  
Truphena Komen

Abstract Background In oncology practice, eliciting the patient’s perspective on their quality of life (QOL) adds important information and value to their treatment and care. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QOL questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) is the most commonly used tool for this purpose but has not been validated in Kenya. The present study aimed to conduct a preliminary assessment of the QOL among Kenyan cancer patients and examine the psychometric properties of the tool in this population. One hundred patients with heterogeneous types of cancer were enrolled in this cross-sectional study between July and August 2019. The EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire was administered to patients using either the English or Kiswahili official version. Descriptive statistics were used to assess patient demographics and clinical characteristics. The psychometric properties of the EORTC QLQ-C30 were evaluated in terms of acceptability, internal consistency, and construct validity using statistical software packages, STATA and SPSS. Results The EORTC QLQ-C30 was found to be acceptable for use in our patient population as indicated by high compliance and low missing responses. Of the 100 patients, 66 were able to self-administer the questionnaire. The average time for completion was 13 min. Preliminary QOL assessment indicated an average QOL in Kenyan cancer patients (53 ± 27). Among the function scales, participants scored the lowest on the social function scale (51 ± 36) whereas among the symptom scales, participants scored the highest on the financial difficulties scale (79 ± 31). Cronbach’s alpha coefficient values ranged from 0.72–0.95, illustrating the reliability of the scales measured. Interscale correlations were statistically significant (p < 0.05), indicating clinical validity of the data collected. The magnitudes of the correlations between the physical functioning scale and the role functioning, pain, and fatigue scales were consistent with the values published in other studies across different geographical populations, further cross-validating the results from our study. Conclusion The results from this study provide important first insights into using EORTC QLQ-C30 in the Kenyan population. We conclude that the questionnaire is an acceptable, reliable, and valid instrument for measuring the QOL in cancer patients in Kenya and recommend its use in clinical practice.

2004 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
JÖRG DIRMAIER ◽  
SILKE ZAUN ◽  
UWE KOCH ◽  
TIMO HARFST ◽  
HOLGER SCHULZ

Objective: Recent years have shown an increase in the use of questionnaires measuring health-related quality of life to verify the quality of treatment in the field of oncology. An often used cancer-specific questionnaire is the “Quality of Life Core Questionnaire of the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer” (EORTC QLQ-C30). The purpose of this study is to analyze the psychometric properties of the EORTC QLQ-C30 (version 1) in order to determine the feasibility and appropriateness for its use in inpatient cancer rehabilitation in Germany with heterogeneous diagnoses.Methods: The questionnaire was administrated to a sample of 972 cancer patients at the beginning of treatment and to 892 patients after treatment. Besides descriptive analysis, the statistical analyses include confirmatory analysis and the multitrait/multimethod approach to test the questionnaire's postulated scale structure (factorial validity) and its reliability (internal consistencies). The analysis also includes a comparison of responsiveness indices (effect size, reliable change index) to test the sensitivity of the instrument.Results: The EORTC QLQ-C30 showed satisfactory levels of reliability and sensitivity, but the postulated scale structure could not be confirmed. The results illustrate that the varimax-rotated solution of a principal component analysis does not confirm the scale structure postulated by the authors. Correspondingly, the selected fit indices within the scope of the confirmatory factor analysis do not show satisfactory results either.Significance of results: We therefore consider version 1 of the EORTC QLQ-C30 to be only limitedly useful for the routine assessment of changes in the quality of life of cancer patients in inpatient rehabilitation in Germany, especially because of the instrument's length and possible redundancies. For this reason, a scoring procedure limited to a subset of items is suggested, revealing satisfactory to good psychometric indices. However, further psychometric tests are necessary, especially with regard to validity and sensitivity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Mahlagha Dehghan ◽  
Moazame Jazinizade ◽  
Alireza Malakoutikhah ◽  
Ali Madadimahani ◽  
Mohammad Hossein Iranmanesh ◽  
...  

Background. Cancer is one of the major health problems worldwide, which in addition to physical disorders, causes stress and anxiety in patients and affects the quality of life of cancer patients. Mindfulness can affect stress and improve the quality of life. This research explained the correlation between stress, quality of life, and mindfulness. Materials and Methods. Two hundred five cancer patients participated in this cross-sectional study. Patients completed the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), the Mindfulness Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Results. Perceived stress and mindfulness predict nearly 39% of the changes of QOL in cancer patients. In addition, perceived stress was negatively associated with mindfulness and quality of life P < 0.05 . Mindfulness was positively correlated with quality of life P < 0.05 . Mindfulness played a mediating role in the relationship between perceived stress and quality of life (standardized β = −0.13; SE = 0.07, 95% confidence interval = −0.28 to −0.01; P value = 0.04). Conclusion. In the present study, the variables of mindfulness and perceived stress affected the quality of life of cancer patients. Mindfulness can affect the quality of life of cancer patients directly and indirectly. These results emphasize the importance of mindfulness in the lives of cancer patients.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Romero-Prada ◽  
Rafael Chaves ◽  
Maria Victoria Victoria Ocampo ◽  
Duvan Gallo ◽  
Lina Maria Huerfano

Abstract Background: The quality of life related to health and the outcomes perceived by cancer patients, is a concept that allows knowing the patient's perception of their health situation and the conditions associated with these. This study is part of the PROCAN strategy, originally devised as response to deficiencies in state policies aimed to assess the health condition of cancer patients and the difficulties which arise while posing multidimensional interventions designed to better a patient’s quality of life. Methods: A cross-sectional study was developed in a representative sample of cancer patients in Colombia, in which the standardized generalized instrument EQ5D3L and a specific instrument called EORTC QLQ-C30 were applied. The characterization data of the population were analyzed by descriptive statistics. Results: The defined scales were applied to 360 patients. The global health state of the EORTC QLQ-C30 was of 66.05, which compared with the control scale EQ5D3L was of 0.70 and with the analog visual scale of 69.79. EORTC QLQ-C30 were applied The emotional and social functions were the most affected. And from a symptoms’ perspective, financial difficulties created the greatest impact (52.8), followed by insomnia and fatigue, all of which were above pain. Conclusions: Therefore, what this study intents to achieve is the promotion of the use of measurements of a cancer patient’s quality of life with the purpose of, in the first place, developing process that would mitigate the damage to the most affected dimensions with the focused pathology, and the development of follow-up actions within the Colombian social security services that would aid the evaluation of proposed strategies after the original assessment of a cancer patient’s quality of life.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-31
Author(s):  
Shiva Ram Khatiwoda ◽  
Raja Ram Dhungana ◽  
Vishnu Prasad Sapkota ◽  
Sarswoti Singh

Background: Information on health-related quality of life of the patients enables healthcare providers to understand patients’ concerns and guides to introduce appropriate treatment care. This study assessed the health-related quality of life of the cancer patients attending a tertiary hospital in Nepal.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 294 cancer patients receiving treatment service from Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital between November 2016 and February 2017. We used the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 to record the scores in different domains of health-related quality of life. The scores were compared across different socio-economic characteristics using non-parametric tests. Results: Majority of the participants were female (57.5%), of age 50 years and above (64.7%) and had either lung or breast or cervical cancer (49.32%). Participants’ median scores of the global health status (overall health) and quality of life, functionality, and symptoms were 83.3, 52.7 and 31.9 respectively. Among functionality, lower mean scores were of role (45.40) and social (53.17) functioning. Among symptoms and single items, higher mean scores were of appetite loss (49.88), fatigue (46.67), insomnia (43.99), and financial difficulty (68.02). The overall health and quality of life varied significantly with different characteristics of the participants.Conclusions: Participants reported a higher score of overall health and quality of life that reflects subjective satisfactory condition. Improving respective functionality and relieving symptoms and difficulty could enhance health-related quality of life in respective domains.Keywords: Cancer; EORTC QLQ-C30; health-related quality of life


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mette Falk Brekke ◽  
Karen la Cour ◽  
Åse Brandt ◽  
Hanne Peoples ◽  
Eva Ejlersen Wæhrens

Background. Occupational therapy and occupational science are founded on the theoretical core assumption that occupation and quality of life (QoL) are closely related. However, such theoretical core assumptions must be supported through empirically based research. Objective. To investigate the association between QoL and occupation, here self-reported and observed ADL abilities as a part of occupation, among people with advanced cancer, including determining whether self-reported or observed ADL ability had the stronger association with QoL. Methods. The study was nested in a cross-sectional study. The association between ADL ability and QoL among 108 people with advanced cancer was investigated using the ADL Interview (ADL-I), the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS), and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ-C30). Results and Conclusions. Results showed that high observed ADL motor ability was associated with high QoL. In contrast, observed ADL process ability and self-reported ADL ability were not significantly associated with QoL. Oppositely expected, observed ADL ability had a stronger association with QoL than self-reported ADL ability. Thereby, the study to some extent contributes knowledge confirming the theoretical core assumptions about the relation between occupation, here performance of ADL, and QoL.


BMC Cancer ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yacir El Alami ◽  
Hajar Essangri ◽  
Mohammed Anass Majbar ◽  
Saber Boutayeb ◽  
Said Benamr ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Health-related quality of life is mainly impacted by colorectal cancer which justified the major importance addressed to the development and validation of assessment questionnaires. We aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Moroccan Arabic Dialectal version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Core Questionnaire (QLQ-C30) in patients with colorectal cancer. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study using the Moroccan version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 on colorectal cancer patients from the National Oncology Institute of Rabat, in the period from February 2015 to June 2017. The QLQ-C30 was administered to 120 patients. Statistical analysis included reliability, convergent, and discriminant validity as well as known-groups comparisons. Results In total, 120 patients with colorectal cancer were included in the study with 38 (32%) patients diagnosed with colon cancers. Eighty-two patients (68%) had rectal cancer, among which 29 (24%) patients with a stoma. The mean age of diagnosis was 54 years (+/− 13.3). The reliability and validity of the Arabic dialectal Moroccan version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 were satisfactory. [Cronbach’s alpha (α =0.74)]. All items accomplished the criteria for convergent and discriminant validity except for question number 5, which did not complete the minimum required correlation with its own scale (physical functioning). Patients with rectal cancer presented with bad Global health status and quality of life (GHS/QOL), emotional functioning as well as higher fatigue symptoms compared to patients with colon cancer. The difference between patients with and without stoma was significant for diarrhea and financial difficulty. Conclusions The Moroccan Arabic Dialectal version of the QLQ-C30 is a valid and reliable measure of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with colorectal cancer.


2017 ◽  
Vol 135 (4) ◽  
pp. 332-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Letícia Baltieri ◽  
Luiz Claudio Martins ◽  
Everton Cazzo ◽  
Débora Aparecida Oliveira Modena ◽  
Renata Cristina Gobato ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: The combined effect of obesity and asthma may lead to significant impairment of quality of life (QOL). The aim here was to evaluate the prevalence of asthma among obese individuals, characterize the severity of impairment of quality of life and measure its relationship with pulmonary function. DESIGN AND SETTING: Observational cross-sectional study in public university hospital. METHODS: Morbidly obese individuals (body mass index &gt; 40 kg/m2) seen in a bariatric surgery outpatient clinic and diagnosed with asthma, were included. Anthropometric data were collected, the Standardized Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ(S)) was applied and spirometry was performed. The subjects were divided into two groups based on the median of the score in the questionnaire (worse &lt; 4 and better &gt; 4) and were compared regarding anthropometric data and pulmonary function. RESULTS: Among the 4791 individuals evaluated, 219 were asthmatic; the prevalence of asthma was 4.57%. Of these, 91 individuals were called to start multidisciplinary follow-up during the study period, of whom 82 answered the questionnaire. The median score in the AQLQ(S) was 3.96 points and, thus, the individuals were classified as having moderate impairment of their overall QOL. When divided according to better or worse QOL, there was a statistically difference in forced expiratory flow (FEF) 25-75%, with higher values in the better QOL group. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of asthma was 4.57% and QOL was impaired among the asthmatic obese individuals. The worst QOL domain related to environmental stimuli and the best QOL domain to limitations of the activities. Worse QOL was correlated with poorer values for FEF 25-75%.


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