Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Validation of the Chinese version of Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20 in Chinese patients with cancer

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Supportive Care in Cancer Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Goals of work

The purpose of this research is to study the validation of the Chinese version of Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20 in measuring fatigue status of the patients with cancer in China.

Materials and methods

The original English version of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20 was translated into a Chinese version, which was applied to measure the fatigue status of cancer patients prior to commencing chemotherapy and during the last week of chemotherapy, respectively. The reliability and criterion-related validity of the Chinese version of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20 were assessed by calculating Cronbach's α and Pearson correlation coefficients. The construct validity was analyzed by employing factor analysis.

Main results

There were three dimensions in the Chinese version of the MFI-20, which measures the physical, mental, and spiritual fatigue of patients with cancer. All of the correlation coefficients between EORTC QLQ-C30V3.0 and MFI-20 were statistically significant (P < 0.0001). The Cronbach's α coefficient was more than 0.8 and 0.7 for total MFI-20 and for the three dimensions of the Chinese version of the MFI-20, respectively.

Conclusions

The Chinese version of the MFI-20 is a reliable and valid instrument to assess fatigue in Chinese patients with cancer.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Winningham ML, Nail LM, Burke MB et al (1994) Fatigue and the cancer experience: the state of the knowledge. Oncol Nurs Forum 21(1):23–36

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Giacalone A, Polesel J, Paoli AD et al (2010) Assessing cancer-related fatigue: the psychometric properties of the Revised Piper Fatigue Scale in Italian cancer inpatients. Support Care Cancer 18:1191–1197

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Haghighat S, Akbari ME, Holakouei K et al (2003) Factors predicting fatigue in breast cancer patients. Support Care Cancer 11(8):533–538

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Romito F, Montanaro R, Corvasce C et al (2008) Is cancer-related fatigue more strongly correlated to haematological or to psychological factors in cancer patients? Support Care Cancer 16(8):943–946

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Curt GA, Breitbart W et al (2000) Impact of cancerrelated fatigue on the lives of patients: new findings from the Fatigue Coalition. Oncologist 5:353–360

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Chang YJ, Lee JS, Lee CG et al (2007) Assessment of clinical relevant fatigue level in cancer. Support Care Cancer 15(7):891–896

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Piper BF, Lindsey AM, Dodd MJ (1987) Fatigue mechanism in cancer patients: developing nursing theory. Oncol Nurs Forum 14:17–23

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Smets EM, Garssen B, Bonke B, De Haes JC (1995) The Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) psychometric qualities of an instrument to assess fatigue. J Psychosom Res 39:315–325

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Hagelin CL, Wengström Y, Runesdotter S, Fürst CJ (2007) The psychometric properties of the Swedish Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory MFI-20 in four different population. Acta Oncol 46:97–104

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Smets EM, Garssen B, Cull A, De Haes JC (1996) Application of the multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI-20) in cancer patients receiving radiotherapy. Br J Cancer 73:241–245

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Aronson NK, Cull A, Keasa S et al (1994) The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) modular approach to quality of life assessment in oncology. Int J Ment Health 23(2):75–96

    Google Scholar 

  12. Zhen LC, Tian HR, Xie PZ (2000) Medical quality of survival evaluation. Junshi Yixue Kexue Press, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  13. Nunnally JM, Bernstein IH (1994) Psychometric theory, 3rd edn. McGraw-Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  14. Schneider RA (1998) Reliability and validity of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20) and the Rhoten Fatigue Scale among rural cancer outpatients. Cancer Nurs 21(5):370–373

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Gentile S, Delarozière JC, Favre F, Sambuc R, San Marco JL (2003) Validation of the French ‘multidimensional fatigue inventory’ (MFI 20). Eur J Cancer Care 12:58–64

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Hagelin CL, Wengström Y, Fürst CJ (2009) Patterns of fatigue related to advanced disease and radiotherapy in patients with cancer—a comparative cross-sectional study of fatigue intensity and characteristics. Support Care Cancer 17:519–526

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Kuhnt S, Ernst J, Singer S, Rüffer JU, Kortmann R-D, Stolzenburg J, Schwarz R (2009) Fatigue in cancer survivors—prevalence and correlates. Onkologie 32:312–317

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Munch TN, Strömgren AS, Pedersen L, Petersen MA, Hoermann L, Groenvold M (2006) Multidimensional measurement of fatigue in advanced cancer patients in palliative care: an application of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory. J Pain Symptom Manage 31(6):533–541

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Lundh HC, Wengström Y, Runesdotter S, Fűrst CJ (2007) The psychometric properties of the Swedish Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory MFI-20 in four different populations. Acta Oncol 46:97–104

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China, no. 81041066

Conflict of interest

No conflicts of interest to declare.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350004, Fujian Province, China

    Jun Tian

  2. First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350014, Fujian Province, China

    Jin-Sheng Hong

Authors
  1. Jun Tian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jin-Sheng Hong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jun Tian.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Tian, J., Hong, JS. Validation of the Chinese version of Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20 in Chinese patients with cancer. Support Care Cancer 20, 2379–2383 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-011-1357-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-011-1357-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation