Psychometric properties and longitudinal measurement invariance of the Treatment-induced Neuropathy Assessment Scale in the Chinese cancer chemotherapy population

Abstract

Background: Background: Treatment-induced peripheral neuropathy is one of the most complex toxicities to diagnose and manage in cancer patients. The Treatment-Induced Neuropathy Assessment Scale (TNAS) is a valid instrument in English for assessing the severity and course of neuropathy across various cancer treatments; it has not been evaluated for psychometric properties in non-Western samples, nor has it been tested for longitudinal measurement invariance. Aim: To evaluate psychometric properties and longitudinal measurement invariance of the TNAS in Chinese cancer patients. Design: A longitudinal observational study. Methods: A total of 316 patients were surveyed at three time points. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), convergent validity, longitudinal measurement invariance, criterion validity, and Internal consistency reliability were evaluated. Results: CFA supported the 2-factor structure of the original TNAS construct at three-time points. The composite reliability (CR) and the average variance extracted (AVE) indicated that the TNAS had good convergent validity. TNAS exhibited strong measurement invariance over time and was reliable across different time points. The correlation of TNAS with the EORTC QLQ-CIPN20 showed good criterion validity. Moreover, the TNAS and sub-scales had high internal consistency at three-time points. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the TNAS is a reliable and valid instrument with adequate psychometric properties and temporal stability. Our results support the use of TNAS in clinical practice to measure treatment-induced peripheral neuropathy and track changes in neuropathy symptoms.