Fatigue is a contributor to decreased quality of life and one of the most common symptoms reported by cancer survivors. Most assessment of fatigue has been retrospective and/or unidimensional. Single-item visual analogue scale ratings are commonly used, despite arguments that fatigue is better conceptualized as multidimensional. The relationships of daily to weekly ratings of fatigue, or of unidimensional to multidimensional assessments, have not been explored. Twenty-five breast cancer survivors provided daily ratings of fatigue and completed the Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form weekly for one month. Using hierarchical linear modeling, stronger relationships of weekly ratings to average and peak rather than most recent daily ratings were found. Visual analogue scale ratings shared more variance with the General Fatigue subscale than with the other four fatigue dimensions measured. Findings suggest that different information is captured by daily versus weekly reports, and that although visual analogue scale ratings can provide a quick assessment of general fatigue, they do not capture other important dimensions.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This study was funded by the Moores UC San Diego Cancer Foundation Grant #05397A. National Cancer Institute (NCI) Grant #R25 CA 65745 and Cancer Center Support Grant #5 P30 CA 023100-22; the National Institutes of Health Division of National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities EXPORT Grant #P60 MD 00220; the NCI Minority Institution/Cancer Center Partnership Program Grants #U56 CA 92079 and #U56 CA 92081; and NCI Increasing Diversity in Cancer Control Research Grant #R25 CA 07583.
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Banthia, R., Malcarne, V.L., Roesch, S.C. et al. Correspondence Between Daily and Weekly Fatigue Reports in Breast Cancer Survivors. J Behav Med 29, 269–279 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-006-9053-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-006-9053-8