Symptom assessment in women with cancer: Development and validation of a context-appropriate tool for Vietnam

Abstract

Objective: To develop and validate a reliable symptom measurement tool for women with cancer in Vietnam. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 188 female cancer patients selected from specialized oncology hospitals. The tool consists of 8 observed variables, assessed using a 6-point Likert scale. Reliability was tested using Cronbach’s Alpha, and validity was evaluated through Spearman’s correlation analysis. Results: The Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient was 0.848, indicating good reliability. All observed variables showed modified-total correlation coefficients greater than 0.3. The strongest correlation was found between fatigue and anorexia (rho = 0.778, p < 0.01), while the weakest correlation was between pain and sexual health issues (rho = 0.224, p < 0.01). Conclusion: The symptom measurement tool developed in this study demonstrates adequate reliability and validity. The results can be applied in clinical practice to enhance the quality of care for female cancer patients in Vietnam