Validation of the Portuguese version of the supportive care needs survey short-form questionnaire (SCNS-SF34-Pt) and the breast cancer supplementary module (SCNS-BR8-Pt)

Abstract

Objective

This study aimed to test the psychometric properties of the Portuguese Supportive Care Needs Survey-Short Form-34 (SCNS-SF34-Pt) and its breast cancer-specific complementary module (SCNS-BR8-Pt). A further aim was to characterize Portuguese Breast Cancer Survivors’ (BCS) unmet supportive care needs, using these measures.

Methods

A convenient sample of BCS was recruited from five hospitals in Portugal and invited to complete SCNS-SF34-Pt and SCNS-BR8-Pt, EORTCQLQC30 and QLQBR23, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and the Patient Health-Questionnaire. The validity (i.e. convergent, discriminant and convergent validity) and reliability of SCNS-SF34-Pt and SCNS-BR8-Pt were statistically evaluated. BCS’ unmet supportive care needs were descriptively assessed.

Findings

336 BCS participated in the study. A four-factor solution was produced for SCNS-SF34-Pt. This solution included the Physical and daily living needs, Psychological needs, Sexuality needs, and Health system, information, and patient support needs dimensions (73% of the total variance; Cronbach’s alpha=.82 to .97). SCNS-SF34-Pt demonstrated good convergent validity. It could also discriminate between known-groups regarding age, disease staging, treatment performed, and ECOG performance status. SCNS-BR8-Pt revealed a single-factor structure (62% of the total variance; Cronbach’s alpha=.91).

Portuguese BCS’ most prevalent unmet supportive care needs were associated with the Psychological, and Physical and daily living domains. Fear of cancer spreading, the inability to do things as usual, and lack of energy/tiredness were perceived as issues requiring further supportive care.

Conclusions

SCNS-SF34-Pt and the SCNS-BR8-Pt are valid and reliable tools to assess Portuguese BCS’ unmet supportive care needs. Fear of cancer spreading and lack of energy/tiredness concerns should be a target of supportive care services.

Keywords:

• breast cancer
• Portugal
• psychometrics
• reliability
• SCNS-BR8
• SCNS-SF34
• supportive care
• unmet needs
• validity

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Ana Alves and Susana Vinhas for their assistance in the data collection, and Cristina Afonso, Diana Fontanete, Elisabete Valério, Fernando Castro, Julio Oliveira, Noémia Afonso, Paula Peixoto, Raquel Guimarães, and Sofia Esteves for their assistance on recruitment. Their collaboration was decisive in the successful implementation of this research.

Author disclaimer

Where authors are identified as personnel of the International Agency for Research on Cancer/World Health Organization, the authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this article and they do not necessarily represent the decisions, policy or views of the International Agency for Research on Cancer/World Health Organization.

Disclosure statement

No conflicts of interest to disclose.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available upon request.

Additional information

Funding

The authors wish to acknowledge the Erasmus+ Program of the European Union: Phoenix JDP on Dynamics of Health and Welfare, Fraunhofer Portugal AICOS, and Foundation for Science and Technology (individual research grant 2020.09045.BD) for supporting CMS during data collection.