Psychometric Properties of the Arabic Version of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illnesses Therapy–Fatigue in Arabic Cancer Patients

Abstract

Background The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) is a measurement system that was developed to assess the health-related quality of life among patients with cancer and other chronic illnesses. The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy–Fatigue (FACIT-F) is a 40-item questionnaire, and it is one of the most frequently used instruments to assess fatigue in cancer populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Arabic FACIT-F among patients diagnosed with cancer. Methods Following a translated and cross-cultural evaluation procedure of the FACIT-F Arabic version, a cross-sectional and descriptive correlational design was conducted. A total of 369 patients with cancer completed the FACIT-F, which consists of the 27-item Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–General (FACT-G) and the 13-item Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy–Fatigue (FACIT-F). The scale was assessed in terms of acceptability, internal consistency, and validity. Construct validity was explored through confirmatory factor analysis. Results The FACT-G had acceptable fit in the four-factor model, whereas the FACIT-Fatigue was found to be acceptable for the one-factor model in Arabic patients diagnosed with cancer. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the Arabic FACIT-Fatigue was 0.92, whereas the total score for FACT-G was 0.92, which showed good reliability. There was evidence that discriminated validity analysis was generally very good for the FACIT-Fatigue and FACT-G Arabic versions. Conclusion The Arabic versions of the FACIT-Fatigue and FACT-G demonstrated good reliability and validity for assessing fatigue and quality of life in patients diagnosed with cancer.