Development and Psychometric Validation of the Breast Cancer Stigma Assessment Scale for Women with Breast Cancer and Its Survivors

• Published in: Healthcare (Basel) 2024-02, Vol.12 (4), p.420
• Main Authors: Cenit-García, Judit, Buendia-Gilabert, Carolina, Contreras-Molina, Carmen, Puente-Fernández, Daniel, Fernández-Castillo, Rafael, García-Caro, María Paz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anxiety; Body image; Breast cancer; Cancer; Cancer survivors; Care and treatment; Diagnosis; Discrimination; Interviews; Lung cancer; Medical prognosis; Mental depression; Mental disorders; Oncology, Experimental; Patient outcomes; Patients; Psychological aspects; Quality of life; Self image; Social aspects; Social science research; Stigma; Stigma (Social psychology); Survivor; Womens health
• ISSN: 2227-9032; 2227-9032
• DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12040420

The increase in breast cancer cases and breast cancer survival makes it advisable to quantify the impact of the health-related stigma of this disease. To develop and validate a breast cancer stigma scale in Spanish. Women diagnosed with, or survivors of, breast cancer were included. The development of the Breast Cancer Stigma Assessment Scale (BCSAS) involved both a literature review and personal interviews. Content validity was assessed using a Delphi study and a pilot test; construct validity was evaluated using an exploratory factor analysis; and convergent validity was assessed using six scales. Cronbach's α internal consistency and test-retest reliability were used to determine the reliability of the scales. 231 women responded to the 28-item scale. The BCSAS showed good reliability, with α = 0.897. Seven factors emerged: concealment (α = 0.765), disturbance (α = 0.772), internalized stigma (α = 0.750), aesthetics (α = 0.779), course (α = 0.599), danger (α = 0.502), and origin (α = 0.350). The test-retest reliability was 0.830 ( < 0.001). Significant correlation was observed with event centrality (r = 0.701), anxiety-depression (r = 0.668), shame (r = 0.645), guilt (r = 0.524), and quality of life (r = -0.545). The BCSAS is a reliable and valid measure of stigma in women with breast cancer and its survivors. It could be useful for detecting stigma risk and establishing psychotherapeutic and care priorities.