Affiliations: [a] Department of Health Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | [b] Basic Science Department, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt | [c] Physical therapy department, Aziziyyah Children’s Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | [d] Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Afaf Shaheen, Department of Health Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. E-mail: ashaheen@ksu.edu.sa.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The pediatric Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (PedsFACIT-F) measures fatigue in various clinical settings. OBJECTIVE: To verify the measurement properties of the Arabic version (PedsFACIT-F-Ar) in patients with cancer. METHODS: In this cross-sectional validation study, the PedsFACIT-F and the Pediatric Quality of Life Multidimensional Fatigue Scale (PedsQL-MFS) were administered to 114 participants (74 boys and 40 girls) aged 8–18. Exploratory factor analysis was used to test the structural validity of PedsFACIT-F-Ar. Its construct validity was investigated using the hypothesis testing method to predict a moderate correlation (rho ⩾ 0.4) with the PedsQL-MFS domains and the total score. Its reliability was also tested. RESULTS: The PedsFACIT-F-Ar is a two-factor model that explains 67.38% of the total variance. It is significantly correlated with PedsQL-MFS (rho > 0.84). It displayed excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α= 0.93) and test-retest reliability (ICC2.1= 0.99; 95% CI: 0.96–0.99). Bland–Altman’s analysis revealed the absence of a systematic error between the two test sessions. The standard error of measurement, minimal detectable change (MDC95), and MDC% were 0.92, 2.56 points, and 2.88%, respectively, with no floor or ceiling effects. CONCLUSIONS: The PedsFACIT-F-Ar demonstrated excellent psychometric properties. The findings suggest the clinical usefulness of this scale.
