ArticleHealth and quality of life outcomes2026
Development and Rasch calibration of the Breast Cancer Symptom Help-Seeking Capability Scale (BCSHC).
Article in Health and quality of life outcomes, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundDelays in seeking care after noticing breast cancer-related symptoms are common and may impair outcomes and health-related quality of life. Existing patient-reported measures often emphasize symptom awareness or general help-seeking attitudes and do not capture capability across the full help-seeking process. This study aimed to develop and preliminarily validate a multidimensional scale of breast cancer symptom help-seeking capability.
methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional instrument development and validation study in a tertiary hospital in Zhejiang, China, and collected data from 1 February 2025 to 30 June 2025. Items were generated under a theory-informed blueprint and reviewed by experts to form a 16-item pilot. We evaluated the scale’s structure and item performance using modern measurement modeling, and examined reliability and construct validity through theory-guided correlations and regression analyses. We assessed symptom help-seeking capability across four domains: Awareness, Knowledge, Action, and Support.
resultsN = 198. Five response categories were well used; category probability curves were ordered and step thresholds largely increasing. Two items (B2, D1) showed comparatively weaker performance; their removal produced a 14-item operational form with improved reliability (overall α from 0.943 to 0.948; Knowledge α from 0.769 to 0.795; Support α from 0.780 to 0.818). Domain correlations were strong and directionally consistent: Awareness-Knowledge r = 0.778; Knowledge-Action r = 0.803; Support with Awareness/Knowledge/Action r = 0.777/0.774/0.809 (all p < 0.001). In regressions, Knowledge was positively associated with Awareness and Support (R² = 0.677), and Action with Knowledge and Support (R² = 0.733); model diagnostics did not suggest major violations.
conclusionThe BCSHC is a concise, theory-informed instrument for assessing symptom help-seeking capacity among patients with breast cancer, and the recommended form contains 14 items with initial evidence supporting reliability and construct validity. It may help identify stage-specific barriers and inform targeted supportive interventions; further studies should confirm stability and responsiveness in diverse samples.
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