Validation of the Chinese version of the MASCC Antiemesis Tool

Purpose: To assess the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the MASCC Antiemesis Tool (MAT).

Design: A prospective observational study design.

Methods: Six experts were invited to identify the content validity and face validity of the MAT. One hundred and fifteen cancer patients were then recruited from three medical centers in Fuzhou, China. The MAT was self-administered by the patients on the first and the fifth day after receiving the most recent chemotherapy, and patients also daily rated the Index of Nausea, Vomiting and Retching (INVR) during the first five days after chemotherapy. Content validity was measured by the index of the content validity (CVI). Construct validity was estimated by the contrasted groups approach. Concurrent validity was measured by exploring the correlations between the INVR and the MAT scores, and internal consistency of the MAT was examined by split-half reliability and Cronbach’s alpha.

Results: One hundred and eleven subjects returned the completed measures. High convent validity was determined, with both the item-level CVI and the scale-level CVI 1.0. All experts supported that the MAT is designed to measure the CINV symptoms and the items are adapted to the Chinese culture. Contrasted-groups analysis clearly discriminated the differences on the CINV symptom experiences between different age and gender groups. Excellent concurrent validity was identified, with the Spearman’s correlation coefficient between the MAT total score and the INVR overall total score 0.940 (P <0.001). Split-half reliability was deemed to be appropriate, with the Spearman-Brown coefficient 0.817 and the Guttman split-half coefficient 0.776. Cronbach’s alpha for the whole scale was 0.732, and the item-to-total correlations.

Conclusion: The Chinese version of the MAT is a valid, reliable and convenient instrument for use inmeasuring CINV symptoms in Chinese cancer patients.