The Norwegian version of the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale: factor structure and psychometric properties

Psychooncology. 2010 Feb;19(2):216-21. doi: 10.1002/pon.1564.

Abstract

Objective: The object of the study was to examine the factor structure and the psychometric properties of the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale (Mini-MAC) among a large sample of Norwegian breast cancer patients.

Methods: A total of 402 patients with breast cancer completed the Mini-MAC.

Results: Principal component analysis with varimax rotion confirmed four factors. Three had psychometric properties to the original Mini-MAC Helpless-Hopeless (HH), Anxious Preoccupation (AP) and Cognitive Avoidance (CA) subscales. The fourth, named Positive Attitude (PA) combined the Fighting Spirit (FS) and the Fatalism subscales of the original Mini-MAC. Construct validities were assessed by examining the interscale correlations as well as the correlations between the Mini-MAC subscales and the HADS subscales scores. Internal consistency of the five subscales was satisfactory for the original (HH, AP, CA, FA, coefficients=0.60-0.83), except for the FS subscale (coefficient=21).

Conclusion: In view of the low internal reliability for the Norwegian Mini-MAC FS subscale coefficient; it appears to be more appropriate to use the Norwegian Mini-MAC as a four-factor model. If researcher or clinicians in Norway use the five-factor model, they should take great care when interpreting the fighting spirit subscale.

Publication types

  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Attitude to Health
  • Breast Neoplasms / epidemiology*
  • Breast Neoplasms / psychology*
  • Depressive Disorder / diagnosis*
  • Depressive Disorder / epidemiology
  • Depressive Disorder / etiology*
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Language*
  • Middle Aged
  • Norway / epidemiology
  • Psychometrics
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Social Adjustment*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires*