Reliability and Validity of the Malay Version of Brief COPE Scale: A Study on Malaysian Women Treated with Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

Abstract

This paper validates the Malay Version of Brief COPE Scale. Reliability was assessed using the test-retest method meanwhile internal consistency was indicated by the Cronbach’s alpha value. Sensitivity of the scale was expressed as the mean differences (and the Effect Size Index) from the evaluation taken at two/three weeks and ten weeks following surgery. Discriminant validity was evaluated by comparing two groups of women i.e. mastectomy and lumpectomy. Internal consistencies ranged from 0.51 to 0.99. In the meantime, the test-retest Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) ranged from <0.00 to 0.98. Sensitivity of the scale was observed in nearly all of the domains with Effect Size Index (ESI) ranged from 0.00 to 0.49. Significant differences between two groups of women (mastectomy and lumpectomy) were detected for Active coping, Planning, Positive Reframing, Religion and Self-distraction. Brief COPE Scale (Malay Version) confirms fairly good reliability and validity.