Salene M W Jones1, Rebecca Ziebell2, Rod Walker2, Larissa Nekhlyudov3, Borsika A Rabin4, Stephanie Nutt5, Monica Fujii2, Jessica Chubak2. 1. Group Health Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA. Electronic address: wu.582@osu.edu. 2. Group Health Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA. 3. Harvard Medical School, Department Population Medicine, 133 Brookline Avenue, 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02215, USA. 4. Department of Family Medicine and Colorado Health Outcomes Program, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, USA; Department of Community and Behavior Health, School of Public Health, University of Colorado, USA; Kaiser Permanente Colorado, Denver, CO, USA. 5. LIVESTRONG Foundation, Austin, TX, USA.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Benefit finding has been shown to be beneficial for people with cancer and may be an indication that one is coping adequately with the stress of cancer. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of a four-item benefit finding measure from the cancer survivorship supplement of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). METHODS: Long-term survivors (5-10 years post-diagnosis) of breast, prostate, colorectal or lung cancer or melanoma (n = 594) completed the MEPS cancer supplement survey in 2013. Four items asked about benefit finding after the cancer: stronger person, coping better, positive changes and having healthier habits. Information on sociodemographics, disease and activity limitations after the cancer was also collected. We examined factor structure, reliability (Kuder-Richardson 20) and validity. RESULTS: The four benefit finding items did not appear to measure one factor. Three of the benefit finding items (stronger person, coping better, positive changes) were related to gender, receipt of chemotherapy and activity limitations but not cancer stage, time since diagnosis or income. Having healthier habits was unrelated to any sociodemographic or disease variable. CONCLUSIONS: Three of the items (stronger person, coping better, positive changes) appeared to have validity as they were related to variables that literature has shown are related to benefit finding. However, having healthier habits is likely measuring a separate but related construct. This short instrument may be used in future studies assessing benefit finding post cancer; however, the four items should be analyzed separately.
PURPOSE: Benefit finding has been shown to be beneficial for people with cancer and may be an indication that one is coping adequately with the stress of cancer. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of a four-item benefit finding measure from the cancer survivorship supplement of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). METHODS: Long-term survivors (5-10 years post-diagnosis) of breast, prostate, colorectal or lung cancer or melanoma (n = 594) completed the MEPS cancer supplement survey in 2013. Four items asked about benefit finding after the cancer: stronger person, coping better, positive changes and having healthier habits. Information on sociodemographics, disease and activity limitations after the cancer was also collected. We examined factor structure, reliability (Kuder-Richardson 20) and validity. RESULTS: The four benefit finding items did not appear to measure one factor. Three of the benefit finding items (stronger person, coping better, positive changes) were related to gender, receipt of chemotherapy and activity limitations but not cancer stage, time since diagnosis or income. Having healthier habits was unrelated to any sociodemographic or disease variable. CONCLUSIONS: Three of the items (stronger person, coping better, positive changes) appeared to have validity as they were related to variables that literature has shown are related to benefit finding. However, having healthier habits is likely measuring a separate but related construct. This short instrument may be used in future studies assessing benefit finding post cancer; however, the four items should be analyzed separately.
Authors: Larissa Nekhlyudov; Sarah M Greene; Jessica Chubak; Borsika Rabin; Leah Tuzzio; Sharon Rolnick; Terry S Field Journal: J Cancer Surviv Date: 2012-12-14 Impact factor: 4.442
Authors: Edward H Wagner; Sarah M Greene; Gene Hart; Terry S Field; Suzanne Fletcher; Ann M Geiger; Lisa J Herrinton; Mark C Hornbrook; Christine C Johnson; Judy Mouchawar; Sharon J Rolnick; Victor J Stevens; Stephen H Taplin; Dennis Tolsma; Thomas M Vogt Journal: J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr Date: 2005
Authors: K Robin Yabroff; Emily Dowling; Juan Rodriguez; Donatus U Ekwueme; Helen Meissner; Anita Soni; Catherine Lerro; Gordon Willis; Laura P Forsythe; Laurel Borowski; Katherine S Virgo Journal: J Cancer Surviv Date: 2012-07-19 Impact factor: 4.442
Authors: Salene M W Jones; Rebecca Ziebell; Rod Walker; Larissa Nekhlyudov; Borsika A Rabin; Stephanie Nutt; Monica Fujii; Jessica Chubak Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2016-12-15 Impact factor: 3.603