Transcultural adaptation and Mexican validation of the posttraumatic growth inventory (PTGI-X-Mx) in a palliative oncology population

Abstract

Introduction. Cancer patients may suffer negative consequences; however, they also report positive aspects of psychological adjustment, such as posttraumatic growth. One of the most widely used instruments for measuring this is the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI). Objectives. Cross-cultural adaptation and Mexican validation of the PTGI-X in the palliative oncology population. Methods. A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in 2 phases: the first involved translation and cross-cultural adaptation (expert judgment/piloting), and the second involved validation of the scale. In the latter, the sample comprised 236 advanced-stage oncology patients, and the following analyses were performed: 1) items under the classical test theory, 2) discrimination and internal consistency indices, 3) confirmatory factor analysis, and 4) convergent and divergent validity. Results. Discrimination coefficients (pBis) ranging from 0.32 to 0.72 were obtained from the translated and adapted version. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.94. The 5-factor theoretical model was assumed; the confirmatory factor analysis yielded a scaled χ2 of 749.01 (df = 265; χ2/df = 2.83), CFI = 0.93, TLI = 0.93, RMSEA = 0.088, and SRMR = 0.065. Bivariate correlations were employed, showing moderate positive associations between the scale factors (r = 0.60 and 0.79) and low-magnitude positive correlations between the factors of posttraumatic growth and perception of quality of life (r = 0.14 and 0.18). Significance of results. The PTGI-X-Mx showed satisfactory psychometric properties in patients with advanced oncological disease receiving palliative care.