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The Piper Fatigue Scale-12 (PFS-12): psychometric findings and item reduction in a cohort of breast cancer survivors.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Reeve, BB; Stover, AM; Alfano, CM; Smith, AW; Ballard-Barbash, R; Bernstein, L; McTiernan, A; Baumgartner, KB; Piper, BF
Published in: Breast Cancer Res Treat
November 2012

Brief, valid measures of fatigue, a prevalent and distressing cancer symptom, are needed for use in research. This study's primary aim was to create a shortened version of the revised Piper Fatigue Scale (PFS-R) based on data from a diverse cohort of breast cancer survivors. A secondary aim was to determine whether the PFS captured multiple distinct aspects of fatigue (a multidimensional model) or a single overall fatigue factor (a unidimensional model). Breast cancer survivors (n = 799; stages in situ through IIIa; ages 29-86 years) were recruited through three SEER registries (New Mexico, Western Washington, and Los Angeles, CA) as part of the Health, Eating, Activity, and Lifestyle (HEAL) study. Fatigue was measured approximately 3 years post-diagnosis using the 22-item PFS-R that has four subscales (Behavior, Affect, Sensory, and Cognition). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to compare unidimensional and multidimensional models. Six criteria were used to make item selections to shorten the PFS-R: scale's content validity, items' relationship with fatigue, content redundancy, differential item functioning by race and/or education, scale reliability, and literacy demand. Factor analyses supported the original 4-factor structure. There was also evidence from the bi-factor model for a dominant underlying fatigue factor. Six items tested positive for differential item functioning between African-American and Caucasian survivors. Four additional items either showed poor association, local dependence, or content validity concerns. After removing these 10 items, the reliability of the PFS-12 subscales ranged from 0.87 to 0.89, compared to 0.90-0.94 prior to item removal. The newly developed PFS-12 can be used to assess fatigue in African-American and Caucasian breast cancer survivors and reduces response burden without compromising reliability or validity. This is the first study to determine PFS literacy demand and to compare PFS-R responses in African-Americans and Caucasian breast cancer survivors. Further testing in diverse populations is warranted.

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Published In

Breast Cancer Res Treat

DOI

EISSN

1573-7217

Publication Date

November 2012

Volume

136

Issue

1

Start / End Page

9 / 20

Location

Netherlands

Related Subject Headings

  • Survivors
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Psychometrics
  • Oncology & Carcinogenesis
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Fatigue
  • Cognition
  • Breast Neoplasms
  • 3211 Oncology and carcinogenesis
 

Citation

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Reeve, B. B., Stover, A. M., Alfano, C. M., Smith, A. W., Ballard-Barbash, R., Bernstein, L., … Piper, B. F. (2012). The Piper Fatigue Scale-12 (PFS-12): psychometric findings and item reduction in a cohort of breast cancer survivors. Breast Cancer Res Treat, 136(1), 9–20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-012-2212-4
Reeve, Bryce B., Angela M. Stover, Catherine M. Alfano, Ashley Wilder Smith, Rachel Ballard-Barbash, Leslie Bernstein, Anne McTiernan, Kathy B. Baumgartner, and Barbara F. Piper. “The Piper Fatigue Scale-12 (PFS-12): psychometric findings and item reduction in a cohort of breast cancer survivors.Breast Cancer Res Treat 136, no. 1 (November 2012): 9–20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-012-2212-4.
Reeve BB, Stover AM, Alfano CM, Smith AW, Ballard-Barbash R, Bernstein L, et al. The Piper Fatigue Scale-12 (PFS-12): psychometric findings and item reduction in a cohort of breast cancer survivors. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2012 Nov;136(1):9–20.
Reeve, Bryce B., et al. “The Piper Fatigue Scale-12 (PFS-12): psychometric findings and item reduction in a cohort of breast cancer survivors.Breast Cancer Res Treat, vol. 136, no. 1, Nov. 2012, pp. 9–20. Pubmed, doi:10.1007/s10549-012-2212-4.
Reeve BB, Stover AM, Alfano CM, Smith AW, Ballard-Barbash R, Bernstein L, McTiernan A, Baumgartner KB, Piper BF. The Piper Fatigue Scale-12 (PFS-12): psychometric findings and item reduction in a cohort of breast cancer survivors. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2012 Nov;136(1):9–20.
Journal cover image

Published In

Breast Cancer Res Treat

DOI

EISSN

1573-7217

Publication Date

November 2012

Volume

136

Issue

1

Start / End Page

9 / 20

Location

Netherlands

Related Subject Headings

  • Survivors
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Psychometrics
  • Oncology & Carcinogenesis
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Fatigue
  • Cognition
  • Breast Neoplasms
  • 3211 Oncology and carcinogenesis