Needs of caregivers of cancer patients: validation of the Mexican version of the Support Person Unmet Needs Survey (SPUNS–SFM)

Purpose The purpose of this study was to validate the Mexican version of the Support Person Unmet Needs Survey (SPUNS–SFM). Methods A cross-sectional survey that included 826 primary caregivers of cancer patients was conducted from June to December 2013 at the Oncology Hospital of the Mexican Institute of Social Security in Mexico City. The validation procedure comprised (1) content validity through a group of experts; (2) construct validity through an exploratory factor analysis based on the polychoric correlation matrix; (3) internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha; (4) convergent validity between SPUNS–SFM and quality of life, anxiety-and-depression scales by calculating Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient;( 5) discriminative validity through the Wilcoxon rank-sum test; and (6) test-retest reliability using intraclass correlation coefficient. Results SPUNS–SFM has 23 items with six factors accounting for 65 % of the total variance. The domains were concerns about the future, access and continuity of healthcare, information, work and finance, and personal and emotional needs. Cronbach’s alpha values ranged from 0.70 to 0.88 among factors. SPUNS–SFM had moderate convergent validity compared with quality of life and depression-and-anxiety scales and good discriminative validity, revealing high needs for younger caregivers and more emotional needs for caregivers of patients with advanced cancer stages. Intraclass correlation coefficient between SPUNS–SFM measurements was 0.78. Conclusion SPUNS–SFM is a valid and reliable tool to identify needs of caregivers of cancer patients.