Validation of the Upper Limb Functional Index on Breast Cancer Survivor

Jaime Martín-Martín, Bella Pajares-Hachero, Emilio Alba-Conejo, Nuria Ribelles, Antonio I. Cuesta-Vargas () and Cristina Roldán-Jiménez
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Jaime Martín-Martín: Legal and Forensic Medicine Area, Department of Human Anatomy, Legal Medicine and History of Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain
Bella Pajares-Hachero: UGCI Oncología Médica, Hospitales Universitarios Regional y Virgen de la Victoria, 29010 Málaga, Spain
Emilio Alba-Conejo: UGCI Oncología Médica, Hospitales Universitarios Regional y Virgen de la Victoria, 29010 Málaga, Spain
Nuria Ribelles: UGCI Oncología Médica, Hospitales Universitarios Regional y Virgen de la Victoria, 29010 Málaga, Spain
Antonio I. Cuesta-Vargas: Grupo Clinimetría en Fisioterapia (F-14), Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), 29590 Málaga, Spain
Cristina Roldán-Jiménez: Grupo Clinimetría en Fisioterapia (F-14), Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), 29590 Málaga, Spain

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 6, 1-10

Abstract: Breast cancer survivors (BCS) may face functional alterations after surgical intervention. Upper Limb Disorders (ULDs) are highly prevalent even years after a diagnosis. Clinicians may assess the upper limbs after breast cancer. The Upper Limb Functional Index (ULFI) has been validated across different populations and languages. This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Upper Limb Functional Index Spanish version (ULFI-Sp) in the BCS. Methods: A psychometric validation study of the ULFI-Sp was conducted on 216 voluntary breast cancer survivors. The psychometric properties were as follows: analysis of the factor structure by maximum likelihood extraction (MLE), internal consistency, and construct validity by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results: The factor structure was one-dimensional. ULFI-Sp showed a high internal consistency for the total score (α = 0.916) and the regression score obtained from MLE (α = 0.996). CFA revealed a poor fit, and a new 14-item model (short version) was further tested. The developed short version of the ULFI-SP is preferable to assess upper limb function in Spanish BCS. Conclusions: Given the high prevalence of ULD in this population and the broader versions of ULFI across different languages, this study’s results may be transferred to clinical practice and integrated as part of upper limb assessment after breast cancer.

Keywords: upper extremity; breast cancer; psychometrics; patient-reported outcome; functional assessment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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