Fatigue in cancer patients: comparison with the general population and prognostic factors
Standard
Fatigue in cancer patients: comparison with the general population and prognostic factors. / Hinz, Andreas; Weis, Joachim; Brähler, Elmar; Härter, Martin; Geue, Kristina; Ernst, Jochen.
In: SUPPORT CARE CANCER, Vol. 28, No. 9, 09.2020, p. 4517-4526.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - Fatigue in cancer patients: comparison with the general population and prognostic factors
AU - Hinz, Andreas
AU - Weis, Joachim
AU - Brähler, Elmar
AU - Härter, Martin
AU - Geue, Kristina
AU - Ernst, Jochen
PY - 2020/9
Y1 - 2020/9
N2 - PURPOSE: The aims of this examination were to compare cancer patients' fatigue burden with that of the general population, to identify clinical factors that are associated with fatigue, and to test psychometric properties of the fatigue questionnaire MFI-20 including the short-form MFI-10.METHODS: A sample of 1818 German cancer patients was tested with the MFI-20.RESULTS: The study confirmed that the cancer patients demonstrate a high level of burden from fatigue. The effect size for the comparison between the cancer patients and a sample of the general population (n = 1993) was d = 0.58 based on MFI-20 total scores. In the cancer patients' sample, females reported slightly higher levels of fatigue than males did (p < 0.05). There was no significant effect of age on fatigue. Advanced tumor stage, the presence of metastases, and a "poorer" Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status were significantly associated with fatigue. The results of the confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) only partly confirmed the factorial structure of the MFI-20.CONCLUSION: Despite the insufficient CFA indices, we believe that the scale structure of the MFI-20 should not be changed and that calculating a total fatigue score is justifiable. For those seeking a shorter questionnaire, the MFI-10, which only contains those 10 items which positively indicate fatigue, is a good alternative.
AB - PURPOSE: The aims of this examination were to compare cancer patients' fatigue burden with that of the general population, to identify clinical factors that are associated with fatigue, and to test psychometric properties of the fatigue questionnaire MFI-20 including the short-form MFI-10.METHODS: A sample of 1818 German cancer patients was tested with the MFI-20.RESULTS: The study confirmed that the cancer patients demonstrate a high level of burden from fatigue. The effect size for the comparison between the cancer patients and a sample of the general population (n = 1993) was d = 0.58 based on MFI-20 total scores. In the cancer patients' sample, females reported slightly higher levels of fatigue than males did (p < 0.05). There was no significant effect of age on fatigue. Advanced tumor stage, the presence of metastases, and a "poorer" Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status were significantly associated with fatigue. The results of the confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) only partly confirmed the factorial structure of the MFI-20.CONCLUSION: Despite the insufficient CFA indices, we believe that the scale structure of the MFI-20 should not be changed and that calculating a total fatigue score is justifiable. For those seeking a shorter questionnaire, the MFI-10, which only contains those 10 items which positively indicate fatigue, is a good alternative.
U2 - 10.1007/s00520-019-05260-8
DO - 10.1007/s00520-019-05260-8
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
C2 - 31953623
VL - 28
SP - 4517
EP - 4526
JO - SUPPORT CARE CANCER
JF - SUPPORT CARE CANCER
SN - 0941-4355
IS - 9
ER -
