Translation and Validation of M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory-Thyroid Cancer Module in Chinese Thyroid Cancer Patients: A Cross-Sectional and Methodological Study

Aim To translate and validate the Chinese version of the MDASI-THY among thyroid cancer patients. Background The M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory-Thyroid Cancer module (MDASI-THY) is one of well-validated instruments for thyroid-specific symptom assessment. To date, the instrument has not been used in China. Methods After standard forward- and back-translation procedures, two instruments, the Chinese version of MDASI-THY and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ C30, were answered by 309 thyroid patients. The content, convergent discriminant validity and reliability of the MDASI-THY were evaluated. The Standards for Reporting Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (STARD) was used as reporting checklist. Results S-CVI and I-CVI of the instrument were over 0.80. There were significant relationships between MDASI-THY and EORTC QLQ-C30 (p<0.001). Symptoms were severer for patients underwent surgical treatment. The Cronbach’s alpha was 0.966 (between 0.954 and 0.827 for subscales). Most symptom items had moderate to high interitem correlations. Conclusions The Chinese version of MDASI-THY demonstrated favorable validity and reliability. It can be used in development of symptom management program in thyroid cancer patients in China. Relevance to clinical practice: Nurse can apply this instrument to assess Chinese thyroid cancer patients to increase the understanding of their symptom experience, resulting in a better symptom management.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Chinese Version of the Brace Questionnaire

Objective: To adapt the questionnaire cross-culturally and to analyze the adaptation and validation of the Chinese version of the Brace Questionnaire (C-BrQ).Methods: The adaptation was based on the International Quality of Life Assessment Project guidelines. A total of 79 patients with AIS were included to examine the psychometric properties of the C-BrQ. The reliability was assessed using internal consistency (the Cronbach's alpha coefficient) and test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient ICC2.1, 95% CI). Floor and ceiling effects were calculated. Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (CCC, 95% CI) was used to compare the agreement between the Scoliosis Research Society-22 patient questionnaire (SRS-22) and C-BrQ.Results: There were strong correlations between each item and its corresponding domain significantly. The correlations between the C-BrQ domains and their related questions vary from moderate to strong (r = 0.311–0.933, P &lt; 0.05). The Cronbach's was 0.891, showing good internal consistency of each domain of the BrQ, and the ICC in test–retest was 0.860 (0.8776, 0.912), which means an excellent test–retest reliability. The Lin's CCC between SRS-22 and C-BrQ was 0.773 (0.669, 0.848), showing great agreement. However, no significant floor and ceiling effects in C-BrQ was observed except the ceiling effect in school activity and bodily pain.Conclusion: BrQ was translated and cross-culturally adapted for use in China with good internal consistency and excellent test–retest reliability.

Acculturation Scale to Russia for Chinese Students: Development and Psychometric Verification

The topic on diagnosing intercultural adaptation and psychological acculturation to a new socio-cultural environment is relevant in connection with the processes of globalization and, in particular, with the growth of academic mobility in education. Research on this problem are especially relevant for Russian science due to the lack of acculturation scales, which are widely represented in Western and international psychology. In 2019, a research team led by Professor A. Ardila developed the Russian-language Acculturation Scale for Russia (ASR), which was validated on a sample of international university students from 71 countries of the world. The aim of the present study was to adapt the ASR for the Chinese students studying in Russian universities. Chinese students are the largest group of international students from far abroad studying at Russian universities, while many of them experience significant difficulties in adapting to a new socio-cultural environment, as well as in learning the Russian language. In total, the study involved 213 Chinese students (59% - female) studying at Russian universities, of which 93 students (58% - female) completed the Russian-language version of the ASR, and 118 students (61% - female) completed the Chinese version of the ASR, which was designed using the back translation. Both ASR versions were psychometrically tested using Cronbachs and MacDonalds coefficients, as well as bifactorial analysis. The methods of descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon W-test were used to compare the Russian-language and Chinese versions of the ASR. The normalization was carried out by means of non-linear percentile normalization (stanines). As a result, a high consistency of the Russian-language and Chinese versions of the ASR and their equivalence with each other were shown. Both versions can be used to assess the level of acculturation of Chinese students to Russia, while the Chinese version is recommended for the Chinese students who have been living in Russia for less than 1-1.5 years and/or have a poor Russian proficiency.