Validation of the Work Role Functioning Questionnaire 2.0 in Cancer Patients

Overview

Journal Eur J Cancer Care (Engl)

Publisher Wiley

Specialties Nursing
Oncology

Date 2021 Feb 4

PMID 33538368

Citations 4

Authors

Heleen F Dorland

Femke I Abma

Corne A M Roelen

Ute Bultmann

Benjamin C Amick 3rd

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: The Work Role Functioning Questionnaire 2.0 (WRFQ), measuring the percentage of time a worker has difficulties in meeting the work demands for a given health state, has shown strong reliability and validity in various populations with different chronic conditions. The present study aims to validate the WRFQ in working cancer patients.

Methods: A validation study of the WRFQ 2.0 was conducted, using baseline data from the longitudinal Work Life after Cancer study. Structural validity (Confirmatory Factor Analysis, CFA), internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and discriminant validity (hypothesis testing) were evaluated.

Results: 352 working cancer patients, most of them diagnosed with breast cancer (48%) and 58% in a job with mainly non-manual tasks, showed a mean WRFQ score of 78.6 (SD = 17.1), which means that they had on average difficulties for 78.6% of the time they spent working. Good internal consistency (α = 0.96) and acceptable to good fit for both the four and five-factor model (CFA) was found. The WRFQ distinguished between cancer patients reporting good vs. poor health (80.3 vs. 73.0, p = 0.001), low vs. high fatigue (82.0 vs. 72.2, p < 0.001), no vs. clinical depression (80.4 vs. 58.8, p < 0.001) and low vs. high cognitive symptoms (86.1 vs. 64.7, p < 0.001).

Conclusions: The WRFQ 2.0 is a reliable and valid instrument to measure work functioning in working cancer patients. Further psychometric research on responsiveness is needed to support its use in health practice.

Citing Articles

Identifying palliative home care needs of patients with advanced cancer: a cross-sectional study.

Liu X, Liu H, Ying W, Zhang Y, Gong X, Huang J Front Psychiatry. 2025; 16:1448973.

PMID: 40071284 PMC: 11893840. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1448973.

Cognitive-enhanced eHealth psychosocial stepped intervention for managing breast cancer-related cognitive impairment: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Serra-Blasco M, Souto-Sampera A, Medina J, Flix-Valle A, Ciria-Suarez L, Arizu-Onassis A Digit Health. 2024; 10:20552076241257082.

PMID: 39070895 PMC: 11273701. DOI: 10.1177/20552076241257082.

Translation, cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Work Role Functioning Questionnaire 2.0 into Brazilian Portuguese in a general population.

Pinto Melo J, Dibai-Filho A, Rego A, Rocha D, Walsh I, Tavarez R Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2022; 20(1):17.

PMID: 35115018 PMC: 8812155. DOI: 10.1186/s12955-022-01924-y.

Supporting participation in paid work of cancer survivors and their partners in the Netherlands: protocol of the SusTained Employability in cancer Patients and their partnerS (STEPS) multi-centre randomized controlled trial and cohort study.

Zegers A, Coenen P, Bultmann U, Retel V, Kieffer J, van der Beek A BMC Public Health. 2021; 21(1):1844.

PMID: 34641839 PMC: 8506084. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11865-8.

Validation of the Work Role Functioning Questionnaire 2.0 in cancer patients.

Dorland H, Abma F, Roelen C, Bultmann U, Amick 3rd B Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2021; 30(4):e13420.

PMID: 33538368 PMC: 8365733. DOI: 10.1111/ecc.13420.

References

Wagner L, Cella D . Fatigue and cancer: causes, prevalence and treatment approaches. Br J Cancer. 2004; 91(5):822-8. PMC: 2409868. DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6602012. View

Aaronson N, Muller M, Cohen P, Essink-Bot M, Fekkes M, Sanderman R . Translation, validation, and norming of the Dutch language version of the SF-36 Health Survey in community and chronic disease populations. J Clin Epidemiol. 1998; 51(11):1055-68. DOI: 10.1016/s0895-4356(98)00097-3. View

Dorland H, Abma F, Roelen C, Stewart R, Amick B, Ranchor A . Work functioning trajectories in cancer patients: Results from the longitudinal Work Life after Cancer (WOLICA) study. Int J Cancer. 2017; 141(9):1751-1762. DOI: 10.1002/ijc.30876. View

Mehnert A . Employment and work-related issues in cancer survivors. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2010; 77(2):109-30. DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2010.01.004. View

Amir Z, Neary D, Luker K . Cancer survivors' views of work 3 years post diagnosis: a UK perspective. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2008; 12(3):190-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejon.2008.01.006. View

Terwee C, Bot S, de Boer M, van der Windt D, Knol D, Dekker J . Quality criteria were proposed for measurement properties of health status questionnaires. J Clin Epidemiol. 2006; 60(1):34-42. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2006.03.012. View

Arends I, van der Klink J, van Rhenen W, de Boer M, Bultmann U . Prevention of recurrent sickness absence in workers with common mental disorders: results of a cluster-randomised controlled trial. Occup Environ Med. 2013; 71(1):21-9. DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2013-101412. View

Duijts S, Van Egmond M, Spelten E, van Muijen P, Anema J, van der Beek A . Physical and psychosocial problems in cancer survivors beyond return to work: a systematic review. Psychooncology. 2013; 23(5):481-92. DOI: 10.1002/pon.3467. View

Dorland H, Abma F, Roelen C, Smink A, Feuerstein M, Amick B . The Cognitive Symptom Checklist-Work in cancer patients is related with work functioning, fatigue and depressive symptoms: a validation study. J Cancer Surviv. 2015; 10(3):545-52. PMC: 4863029. DOI: 10.1007/s11764-015-0500-9. View

10.

Manea L, Gilbody S, McMillan D . A diagnostic meta-analysis of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) algorithm scoring method as a screen for depression. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2014; 37(1):67-75. DOI: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2014.09.009. View

11.

Amick 3rd B, Lerner D, Rogers W, Rooney T, Katz J . A review of health-related work outcome measures and their uses, and recommended measures. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2000; 25(24):3152-60. DOI: 10.1097/00007632-200012150-00010. View

12.

Tamminga S, Verbeek J, Frings-Dresen M, de Boer A . Measurement properties of the Work Limitations Questionnaire were sufficient among cancer survivors. Qual Life Res. 2013; 23(2):515-25. DOI: 10.1007/s11136-013-0484-8. View

13.

Deimling G, Bowman K, Sterns S, Wagner L, Kahana B . Cancer-related health worries and psychological distress among older adult, long-term cancer survivors. Psychooncology. 2005; 15(4):306-20. DOI: 10.1002/pon.955. View

14.

Gandubert C, Carriere I, Escot C, Soulier M, Hermes A, Boulet P . Onset and relapse of psychiatric disorders following early breast cancer: a case-control study. Psychooncology. 2009; 18(10):1029-37. DOI: 10.1002/pon.1469. View

15.

Dorland H, Abma F, Roelen C, Bultmann U, Amick 3rd B . Validation of the Work Role Functioning Questionnaire 2.0 in cancer patients. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2021; 30(4):e13420. PMC: 8365733. DOI: 10.1111/ecc.13420. View

16.

Manea L, Gilbody S, McMillan D . Optimal cut-off score for diagnosing depression with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9): a meta-analysis. CMAJ. 2011; 184(3):E191-6. PMC: 3281183. DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.110829. View

17.

Hoffman B . Cancer survivors at work: a generation of progress. CA Cancer J Clin. 2005; 55(5):271-80. DOI: 10.3322/canjclin.55.5.271. View

18.

Wefel J, Lenzi R, Theriault R, Davis R, Meyers C . The cognitive sequelae of standard-dose adjuvant chemotherapy in women with breast carcinoma: results of a prospective, randomized, longitudinal trial. Cancer. 2004; 100(11):2292-9. DOI: 10.1002/cncr.20272. View

19.

Roelen C, Koopmans P, Groothoff J, van der Klink J, Bultmann U . Return to work after cancer diagnosed in 2002, 2005 and 2008. J Occup Rehabil. 2011; 21(3):335-41. PMC: 3173615. DOI: 10.1007/s10926-011-9319-z. View

20.

Rasmussen D, Elverdam B . The meaning of work and working life after cancer: an interview study. Psychooncology. 2008; 17(12):1232-8. DOI: 10.1002/pon.1354. View