Even in cases of successful medical
treatment for myocardial infarction (MI), quite a few persons will experience
different symptoms, including fatigue, during the recovery phase. Such symptoms
can negatively affect well-being and daily life functioning, with the risk of
deleterious effects on cardiovascular prognosis. Several inventories have been
developed to measure fatigue in different groups of persons with chronic
conditions, mostly related to cancer diagnoses, but there are almost none
targeting coronary heart diseases. The aim of the present study was to
construct the multidimensional Post-Myocardial Infarction Fatigue (PMIF) scale,
based on empirical data gathered in coronary heart disease contexts.
The construction of
the post-MI fatigue scale was conducted in seven steps, ending in a
psychometric evaluation of the internal structure of the scale. Besides, the
Multi-Dimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20) was used to
complement the PMIF scale and the Cardiac Self-Efficacy (CSE) Scale was used to
test discriminant validity. Confirmatory factor
analysis (CFA) was performed to examine the extent to which the factor
structure replicated the hypothesized hierarchical models. Model fit was
estimated by: 1) χ2 goodness-of-fit, χ2/df, 2) the Root
Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA), 3) the Standardized Root Mean
Square Residual (SRMR), 4) the Comparative Fit Index (CFI). Mean summed scores
for each scale were assessed, and then convergent and discriminant validity
were considered based on calculations of Pearson’s correlations.
The study comprised 141 persons, ≤75 of age, diagnosed with MI two
months earlier. The MI diagnosis was based on electrocardiographic data,
symptoms and enzymatic criteria. Respondents were consecutively recruited to
participate in a longitudinal follow-up of recovery after MI. The results showed
that the PMIF scale represented three dimensions: physical, cognitive and
emotional fatigue. It was also found that the scale was suitable for summing
the items to obtain a total score representing a post-MI global fatigue
dimension.
In conclusion, the
PMIF scale—a brief and easily completed scale—may be useful for identifying
persons experiencing post-MI fatigue. And early identification of fatigue, together
with health behavior support, might be useful in promoting fatigue relief.
Article by Eva
Brink, et al, from Sweden.
Full access: http://mrw.so/4y7sqp
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