Validation of the Japanese Version of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System-Revised

Abstract

Context: The Edmonton Symptom Assessment System-revised (ESAS-r) is a brief and widely used symptom measurement tool.

Objectives: To validate the Japanese version of the ESAS-r in Japanese patients with cancer.

Methods: We assessed the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, concurrent validity, and known-group validity in 292 Japanese adult patients with cancer. They completed Japanese versions of the ESAS-r, M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory, and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30.

Results: Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the Japanese version of the ESAS-r was 0.87. The intraclass correlation coefficient in the test-retest examination ranged from 0.82 to 0.91 for each symptom score and was 0.90 for the total score. Pearson correlation coefficients of each ESAS-r symptom score with corresponding M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 items ranged from 0.45 to 0.80. The total score of the ESAS-r was significantly higher in patients with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 2-4 than in those with a performance status of 0 and 1 (P < 0.0001).

Conclusion: The Japanese version of the ESAS-r is a reliable and valid tool for measuring symptoms in Japanese adult patients with cancer.

Keywords: Edmonton Symptom Assessment System; Edmonton Symptom Assessment System–revised; reliability; symptom assessment; validation; validity.