Fear of breast cancer among young Spanish women: Factor structure and psychometric properties of the Champion breast cancer fear scale

Measurement properties of the Iranian version of the breast cancer perception scale (BCPS) according to the COSMIN checklist

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is a prevalent cancer characterized by its aggressive nature and potential to cause mortality among women. The rising mortality rates and women's inadequate perception of the disease's severity in developing countries highlight the importance of screening using conventional methods and reliable scales. Since the validity and reliability of the breast cancer perception scale (BCPS) have not been established in the Iranian context. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the measurement properties of the BCPS in women residing in Tabriz, Iran.

METHODS

The present study comprised a cross-sectional design, encompassing a sample of 372 Iranian women. The participants were selected through a multi-stage cluster random sampling technique conducted over a period spanning from November 2022 to February 2023. The measurement properties of the Iranian version of BCPS were assessed following the guidelines outlined in the COSMIN checklist. This involved conducting various steps, including the translation process, reliability testing (internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and measurement error), and methodological tests for validity (content validity, face validity, construct validity, and hypothesis testing). The study also investigated the factors of responsiveness and interpretability. The presence of floor and ceiling effects was assessed.

RESULTS

The internal consistency of the scale was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, yielding a satisfactory value of 0.68. Additionally, McDonald's omega (95% CI) was computed, resulting in a value of 0.70 (0.66 to 0.74). Furthermore, the test-retest reliability was evaluated, revealing a high intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.97 (95% CI: 0.94 to 0.99). The CVI, CVR, and impact scores of the BCPS were determined to be 0.98, 0.95, and 3.70, respectively, indicating favorable levels of content and face validity. To assess construct validity, an examination of the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was conducted on a set of 24 items. This analysis revealed the presence of six distinct factors, which collectively accounted for 52% of the cumulative variance. The fit indices of the validity model (CFI = 0.91, NFI = 0.96, RFI = 0.94, TLI = 0.90, χ2/df = 2.03, RMSEA = 0.055 and SRMR = 0.055) were confirmed during the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The overall score of BCPS exhibited a ceiling effect of 0.3%. The floor effect observed in the overall score (BCPS) was found to be 0.5%. Concerning the validation of the hypothesis, Spearman's correlation coefficient of 0.55 was obtained between the BCPS and the QLICP-BR V2.0. This correlation value signifies a statistically significant association. Furthermore, it is worth noting that the minimum important change (MIC) of 3.92 exhibited a higher value compared to the smallest detectable change (SDC) of 3.70, thus suggesting a satisfactory level of response.

CONCLUSIONS

The obtained findings suggest that the Iranian version of the BCPS demonstrates satisfactory psychometric properties for assessing the perception of breast cancer among Iranian women. Furthermore, it exhibits favorable responsiveness to clinical variations. Consequently, it can serve as a screening instrument for healthcare professionals to comprehend breast cancer and as a reliable tool in research endeavors.

Diagnose earlier, live longer? The impact of cervical and breast cancer screening on life span

Cancer has become a leading cause of death and aroused the cancer scare. Breast and cervical cancer are two main health threats for women. In order to reduce mortality through early detection and early treatment, cancer screening has been widely recommended and applied for breast and cervical cancer detection and prevention. However, the benefit of cancer screening has been a controversial issue for the recent decades. The Chinese government has launched a free screening program on breast and cervical cancer for women since 2009. There is lack of strong data and sufficient information, however, to examine the effect of breast and cervical cancer screening. A Difference-in-Difference model estimated by Cox proportional hazard estimation was applied to evaluate the effects of breast and cervical cancer screening using data from Nown County Cancer Registry between the year 2009 and 2013. Based on the case study in a county of central China, this study found that the screening program reduced the risk of death, but found the lion’s share for the benefit has been mainly due to the cervical cancer screening rather breast cancer screening, which may be related to the difference between early detection screening and preventive screening. Our results suggest sufficient funding and better education of related cancer knowledge will be meaningful measures for the prevention and treatment of breast and cervical cancer.

An experimental study revisiting the link between media attention and breast cancer concern: exploring the role of cognitive fusion

Research examining the link between media attention and breast cancer concern has been frequently conducted with middle/old-age women, even though young women (<40 years old) have been overrepresented media stories about breast cancer. Accordingly, little is known about young women's emotional reactions to breast cancer media messages and the psychological factors modulating such reactions. This study examined the impact of breast cancer media messages and cognitive fusion on negative affect, fear of breast cancer (FBC), and perceived susceptibility to breast cancer. 207 young women were randomly assigned to watch a low- or high-threat video about breast cancer. A MANCOVA revealed that participants who viewed the high-threat video reported greater negative affect and perceived susceptibility, but not FBC; however, participants in both conditions showed moderate/high FBC. Correlational analyses and a MANOVA showed that participants reporting higher cognitive fusion reported higher negative affect across conditions, as well as higher FBC in the high-threat condition. Taken together, these results suggest that young women may show habituation to alarmist media messages, but may nonetheless construe breast cancer as a significant threat. Moreover, young women showing medium/high cognitive fusion seem more likely to show heightened concern upon exposure to alarmist media messages about breast cancer.