Validity and reliability of the Spanish fear-avoidance components scale in breast cancer survivors.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE\nThe aim of this study was to carry out a psychometric analysis of the Fear-Avoidance Components Scale (FACS-Sp) in Spanish breast cancer survivors (BCS).\n\n\nMETHODS\nA validation study was carried out in 154 BCS. Participants were recruited from the service of Medical Oncology of the University Clinical Hospital Virgen de la Victoria, in Málaga (Spain). A psychometric analysis of internal consistency, internal structure and convergent validity of the FACS-Sp was performed. Cronbach s alpha was calculated for internal consistency. Exploratory Factor Analysis was used to determine the internal structure of the FACS-Sp. Convergent validity with the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK) and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) was determined using the Pearson correlation coefficient.\n\n\nRESULTS\nThe internal consistency was high (McDonald s ω\u2009=\xa00.91). The Exploratory Factor Analysis yielded one factor explaining the 40.80% of total variance. Convergent validity with the TSK and the PCS was demonstrated.\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nThe FACS-Sp has demonstrated to be a valid and reliable measure for assessing pain-related fear avoidance in BCS based on internal consistency, structural validity and convergent validity. Further studies that analyse other measurement properties in different Spanish cancer populations are needed.