TY - JOUR
T1 - Quality of life questionnaires for children with cancer and childhood cancer survivors
T2 - A review of the development of available measures
AU - Klassen, Anne F.
AU - Strohm, Sonya J.
AU - Maurice-Stam, Heleen
AU - Grootenhuis, Martha A.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was funded by a grant from the Canadian Cancer Society. Anne Klassen is a recipient of Canadian Institute of Health Research career award. We acknowledge the contribution of Maureen Rice for her help with the literature search.
PY - 2010/9
Y1 - 2010/9
N2 - Objective: To identify and appraise all published quality of life (QOL) measures developed for use with children with cancer and childhood cancer survivors. Methods: MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CancerLit, and Sociological Abstracts were searched from the inception of each database to 15 June 2009. Included articles were ones that described the development and/or psychometric evaluation of a QOL measure developed for use with children with cancer or childhood cancer survivors. Articles were appraised for adherence to internationally recommended guidelines for item generation, item reduction, and psychometric evaluation. Results: Thirteen QOL questionnaires were identified by our search. Eleven measures are applicable to measuring QOL in children with any type of cancer, and two are specific to children with brain cancer. Four measures can be used to measure QOL in children undergoing cancer treatment, six can be used with children on or off treatment, and three are specific to childhood cancer survivors. While all measures underwent some degree of formal development and validation, item generation often did not involve children with cancer or their parents, and a number of measures did not describe or utilize recommended methods for item reduction and psychometric evaluation. Conclusions: Most of the measures identified in this review were designed to measure QOL concerns of children with any type of cancer and at any time, during treatment or survivorship. Our findings can help researchers and clinicians identify scientifically sound measures.
AB - Objective: To identify and appraise all published quality of life (QOL) measures developed for use with children with cancer and childhood cancer survivors. Methods: MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CancerLit, and Sociological Abstracts were searched from the inception of each database to 15 June 2009. Included articles were ones that described the development and/or psychometric evaluation of a QOL measure developed for use with children with cancer or childhood cancer survivors. Articles were appraised for adherence to internationally recommended guidelines for item generation, item reduction, and psychometric evaluation. Results: Thirteen QOL questionnaires were identified by our search. Eleven measures are applicable to measuring QOL in children with any type of cancer, and two are specific to children with brain cancer. Four measures can be used to measure QOL in children undergoing cancer treatment, six can be used with children on or off treatment, and three are specific to childhood cancer survivors. While all measures underwent some degree of formal development and validation, item generation often did not involve children with cancer or their parents, and a number of measures did not describe or utilize recommended methods for item reduction and psychometric evaluation. Conclusions: Most of the measures identified in this review were designed to measure QOL concerns of children with any type of cancer and at any time, during treatment or survivorship. Our findings can help researchers and clinicians identify scientifically sound measures.
KW - Cancer
KW - Childhood survivors
KW - Oncology
KW - Psychometrics
KW - Quality of life
KW - Systematic review
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77956457260&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00520-009-0751-y
DO - 10.1007/s00520-009-0751-y
M3 - Review article
C2 - 19834745
AN - SCOPUS:77956457260
SN - 0941-4355
VL - 18
SP - 1207
EP - 1217
JO - Supportive Care in Cancer
JF - Supportive Care in Cancer
IS - 9
ER -