Development of an adjustment ability scale for outpatients with cancer: Verification of its reliability and validity.
Keiko Hirokawa, Shizue Suzuki
PMID 30062029WHAT IT FOUND
A 47-item scale reliably measures how outpatients with cancer adjust to life after diagnosis.
It identifies six key abilities, from seeking support to controlling physical function, allowing nurses to objectively spot patients needing extra help with daily coping.
Key findings
01The final 47-item scale demonstrated high internal consistency and stability over a two-week period.
02The scale correlates moderately with mental adjustment to cancer measures but shows no significant association with overall quality of life scores.
03Construct validity was not established because the statistical model fit for the scale's structure was poor.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Construct validity was not established due to poor model fit in confirmatory factor analysis. The scale has a high number of items (47), which may be burdensome for routine clinical use. The study population was predominantly female (71.0%) and focused on breast and gastrointestinal cancers, limiting generalizability to other cancer types or male patients. The retest period was not strictly controlled, potentially affecting reliability estimates.
Declared interests
The authors declare no funding or conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the scale's high internal consistency as proof that it accurately measures the theoretical concept of 'adjustment ability'. The poor model fit means the scale's structure is not statistically validated, so it should be used as a descriptive tool for patient-reported coping behaviors rather than a definitive measure of underlying psychological constructs.