Development and Validation of a Fertility Intention Scale in Breast Cancer Survivors.

BACKGROUND

Evidence indicates that breast cancer survivors with reproductive concerns have a poorer quality of life than survivors without fertility concerns. There is a lack of reliable and valid assessments of fertility intention among breast cancer survivors.

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to develop and validate the Fertility Intention Scale (FIS) that is sensitive to the fertility intention of women with breast cancer.

METHODS

A literature review and a qualitative study were conducted to generate the items in the scale. Content validity was evaluated by 15 experts, and face validity was assessed by 10 patients with cancer. Factor analysis was used to assess construct validity, and criterion validity was evaluated using two percentile items of fertility willingness. We developed and examined the validity and reliability of the FIS using a sample of 178 patients with breast cancer who had completed chemotherapy.

RESULTS

The Cronbach's alpha calculated for the FIS (15 items) was .88. The factor analysis performed for the construct validity of the scale identified four factors that accounted for approximately 68.72% of the total variance. These four factors were pregnancy risk, disease control, social support, and happiness. There was a significant correlation between the total FIS and the level of desiring fertility preservation or pregnancy.

CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The FIS has acceptable reliability, content validity, and construct validity. This scale is appropriate for use in research and clinical practice settings to evaluate the risk-benefit perceptions of pregnancy in patients with breast cancer.