Adapting Champion's Breast Cancer Fear Scale to colorectal cancer: psychometric testing in a sample of older Chinese adults

Abstract

Purpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common type of cancer in both men and women, and older adults are more susceptible to this disease. Previous studies suggest that cancer fear may be a key predictor of participation in cancer screening. Yet there is a lack of validated measuring tools of fear relating to CRC for the Chinese older adult population. This study aims to test the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Colorectal Cancer Fear Scale (CRCFS), adapting from the Champion's Breast Cancer Fear Scale.

Methods: The CRCFS was developed by altering the wording 'breast cancer' to 'colorectal cancer'. Interviewer-administered surveys were carried out with a convenience sample of 250 community-dwelling adults aged at least 60 years old without a history of cancer. A subsample of 40 participants completed the scale again at one-month.

Results: Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the one-factor model provided excellent fits to the overall data, and two randomly split samples. Cronbach's alpha of the scale was 0.95 and test-retest reliability was 0.52. Positive and significant correlations of CRC Cancer Fear with CRC-related susceptibility, severity and barriers were observed. A non-linear relationship with benefits was found.

Conclusions: The findings provide support for the psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the Champion Cancer Fear with an adaption to CRC in a sample of community dwelling older Chinese adults. The scale provides a useful tool to assess CRC-related fear, which interventions should address in order to improve screening rates among older Chinese adults.

Keywords: Cancer fear; Colorectal cancer; Methodological study; Older people; Psychometric properties.