Validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the functional assessment of cancer therapy-bone marrow transplant (FACT-BMT) quality of life questionnaire in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation.

OBJECTIVE: The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplant Version 4 (FACT-BMT) is a widely used instrument to assess quality of life in individuals treated with bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Our aim was to determine the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the FACT-BMT in patients undergoing BMT. METHOD: Patients between the age of 20 and 65 years and who had undergone BMT at least 3 months before the study were included. Validity was determined using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. To determine convergent validity, the European Cancer Research and Treatment Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-Cancer30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI), and the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance score were used. Cronbach's alpha, intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), and item-total correlation (ITC) values were calculated to assess the reliability of the FACT-BMT. RESULTS: Totally, 114 patients (F/M: 47/67) treated with BMT (mean age: 49.50 ± 12.50 years) were included. Confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis revealed that the FACT-BMT and the Bone Marrow Transplantation Subscale (BMTS) had sufficient fit. The FACT-BMT was moderately to strongly correlated with the EORTC QLQ-C30, the BFI, and the ECOG performance score (p < 0.001). Cronbach's alpha and ICC values of the FACT-BMT were acceptable (0.925 and 0.956, respectively). The ITC values of each item of the FACT-BMT were also acceptable (ranged from 0.296 to 0.737). Patients undergoing autologous BMT had a significantly higher BMTS score than those undergoing allogeneic BMT (p < 0.05). SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: The Turkish version of the FACT-BMT is valid, reliable, and sensitive to changes in quality of life in patients undergoing BMT.

Investigation of the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function in cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function (FACT-Cog) is a questionnaire that is used to evaluate the quality of life and cognitive functions according to individual self-reports. The aim of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the FACT-Cog. METHODS: Cancer patients who were treated with chemo or radiotherapy and had a score of 24/30 and more in Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were included in this study. Cognitive functions assessed with the FACT-Cog and the European Organization of Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire Core 30: Cognitive Function subscale (EORTC QLQ-CF). RESULTS: One hundred and forty cancer patients [female = 87 (62.1%), male = 53 (37.9%)] were included. The mean age of the participants was 47.93 ± 11.90 years. The Cronbach's α of the FACT-Cog scale was 0.82. Test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient values of the FACT-Cog questionnaire were varied from 0.855 to 0.954. There were found low correlations between the total score of the FACT-Cog and the MMSE (r = 0.26, p = 0.002), and moderate correlations between the EORTC QLQ-CF subscale and the FACT-Cog (r = -0.43; p < 0.001). SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: It showed the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the FACT-Cog questionnaire for cancer patients. It may be beneficial to use this questionnaire for the effects of cancer treatment.

Screening supportive care needs, compliance with exercise program, quality of life, and anxiety level during the COVID-19 pandemic in individuals treated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

PURPOSE: The primary aim was to assess supportive care needs, compliance with home exercise program, quality of life level (QOL), and anxiety level during the COVID-19 pandemic in individuals treated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The secondary aim was to investigate demographic and medical factors associated with the recorded outcomes. METHODS: The present study included individuals treated with HSCT and previously referred to physical therapy. The data were collected by interviews with the participants on the phone. Supportive care needs were assessed using the Supportive Care Needs Survey-Short Form 29TR. Compliance with the exercise program was recorded as the number of patients regularly performed strengthening and stretching exercises and the ratio of the walking duration to the recommended duration. The European Cancer Research and Treatment Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-Cancer30 was used to assess the QOL. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-I and the Visual Analogue Scale were used to assess anxiety level. RESULTS: The present study included 101 individuals treated with HSCT. The psychological and physical supportive care needs were predominant in participants. Compliance with exercise program was low. General anxiety level was low, yet anxiety about COVID-19 was moderate level in participants. Supportive care needs were related to female gender, performance level, time since HSCT, and QOL level (p Ë‚ 0.05). Anxiety level was correlated with supportive care needs, COVID-19-related anxiety, and QOL (p Ë‚ 0.05). Compliance with exercise program was associated with age, performance level, and QOL (p Ë‚ 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results offer that supportive telehealth interventions should be considered during the COVID-19 pandemic for individuals treated with HSCT to decrease unmet supportive care needs and isolation-related physical inactivity.

Development and reliability of a Turkish version of the Short Form-Joint Protection Behavior Assessment (JPBA-S).

STUDY DESIGN: Clinical measurement. PURPOSE: To adapt the original JPBA-S to a Turkish version (TUR-JPBA-S) and to investigate its reliability in assessing patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Twenty-two participants with RA and 21 healthy people were videotaped while performing tasks listed in the TUR-JPBA-S. Two raters scored the video recordings for to evaluate inter-rater reliability. One rater re-analyzed the recordings at a different time point for intra-rater reliability. Participants with RA were asked to perform the same tasks after three to four weeks which was also recorded to evaluate test-retest reliability. RESULTS: Internal consistency (Cronbach's α value) was found to be high (0.89) for participants with RA. Our results demonstrate excellent intra-rater (ICC: 0.99, SEM 1.2) inter-rater (ICC: 0.99, SEM 1.7) reliability, apart from excellent test-retest reliability (ICC: 0.96). CONCLUSION: The TUR-JPBA-S is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing JP behavior in patients with RA in Turkey. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 2.

Factors related to the impact of chronically disabled children on their families.

BACKGROUND: This study to investigated the effects of chronically disabled children (CDC) on their families. METHOD: The study included 655 CDD and their families from 45 cities located in Turkey representing the seven regions of the country. Sociodemographic characteristics, presence of mental retardation, primary care-giver, presence of social insurance, the number of other children and other family members living in the family, duration of the disorder, disabling conditions in the other children, time spent for care giving, and level of income were recorded. WeeFIM (Functional Independence for Children) and Impact on Family Scale (IPFAM) were administered to evaluate the level of functional independence and the overall burden on the families, respectively. RESULTS: IPFAM and WeeFIM scores were not different between geographical regions (P > 0.05). Functional independence level of the child and the level of education of the mothers were significant contributors to the disruption of social relations subscale of IPFAM (P < 0.05). WeeFIM score, presence of mental retardation, and income were significant contributors to general impact subscale. WeeFIM, mothers' level of education, and income were significant factors for the financial support subscale (P < 0.05). WeeFIM score, presence of mental retardation, mothers' level of education, and income also were found to contribute to the total impact subscale scores (P < 0.05). None of the evaluated factors were found to contribute to coping subscale of IPFAM (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Although some are expected, certain intriguing results, such as the impact of the mothers' literacy level, warrant further larger scale comprehensive studies to investigate the factors that contribute to the impact of CDC on their families. Also, policies that focus on family centered rehabilitation approaches should be encouraged in an effort to decrease the overall impact of CDC on families.