Scale-Description

The Caregiver Quality of Life Index-Cancer Scale (CQOLC-35) is a psychometric tool designed to assess the quality of life of caregivers for cancer patients. The scale includes 35 questions aimed at highlighting the impacts that caring for a cancer patient has on the caregiver’s life, both physically and psychologically.

The scale evaluates various dimensions of the caregivers’ quality of life, such as:

Emotional well-being: Feelings of depression, anxiety, and psychological stress.

Physical health: Physical well-being and energy levels.

Social relationships: Support from family and social networks.

Financial situation: Impacts related to the costs of caregiving.

Data Analysis and Usage

Data collected from the CQOLC-35 can be analyzed to capture the effects of caregiving on caregivers’ quality of life. Key analyses include:

Reliability analysis: Calculating Cronbach’s alpha to determine the internal consistency of the scale.

Factor analysis: To confirm the main dimensions that affect caregivers’ quality of life.

Correlation analysis: To explore the relationship between quality of life and other factors, such as the intensity of caregiving or the level of support.

The results can be used to develop interventions aimed at improving caregivers’ quality of life and supporting them.

Purpose

The goal of the CQOLC-35 is to assess the quality of life of caregivers for cancer patients in order to:

Identify the impacts that caregiving has on their mental and physical health.

Pinpoint the factors that contribute to their well-being or distress.

Support the design and implementation of intervention strategies that enhance caregivers’ quality of life.

Calibration

The calibration of the CQOLC-35 includes:

Reliability analysis to assess the internal consistency of the scale.

Confirmatory factor analysis to validate the structure of the scale.

Cross-validation in different populations to ensure the validity and generalizability of the results.

Bibliography

Weitzner, M. A., Jacobsen, P. B., & Wagner, H. R. (1999). The Caregiver Quality of Life Index-Cancer (CQOLC): Development and validation of a scale to measure quality of life in caregivers of cancer patients. Quality of Life Research, 8(5), 452-458.

Wagner, H. R., & Weitzner, M. A. (2004). Caregiver quality of life in cancer care: A review. Cancer, 100(5), 1259-1268.

Schumacher, K. L., & Meleis, A. I. (1994). Theoretical analysis of caregiving: An overview of the concept. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 26(3), 213-218.