Psychometric Properties of the Farsi Version of “Spiritual Needs Questionnaire” for Cancer Patients in Iran: A Methodological Study

摘要

Background and objectives: Spiritual needs are very important requirements to cancer patients. A valid andreliable instrument is needed for evaluation. This study was conducted to psychometrically evaluate a Spiritual NeedsQuestionnaire (SpNQ) for cancer patients in Iran. Methods: In this study, the methodology and psychometric propertiesof the Farsi version of the SpNQ (Büssing et al., (2010)) were evaluated, based on the model proposed by Wilde et al.,(2005). The study population included cancer patients referred to the largest referral center in Iran. Some 400 subjectswere selected. Then, the content, face and construct validity, as well as the internal consistency and reliability of theFarsi version were assessed. Findings: In the confirmatory factor analysis, the original four-factor version with 19phrases was not confirmed. Subsequently, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was carried out in which phrases wereincluded in three dimensions (peace and active giving, religion, and existence) that explained 48.1% of the variance.Later, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted, which showed a good fit of the model (CFI=0.94, GFI=0.94,RMSEA=0.071, and AGFI=0.96). Cronbach’s alpha was α=0.91 for the whole SpNQ. Cronbach’s alpha values rangedfrom 0.76 to 0.86 for the three factors. The intra-class correlation coefficient was ICC=0.82 between two tests performedwith a two-week interval. Conclusion: The modified Farsi version of the SpNQ shows good psychometric propertiesfor patients and can be used to investigate the spiritual needs of Iranian cancer patients.