Validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Fear of Cancer Scale

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Öztürk M. H., Kuday A. D.

JOURNAL OF HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY, vol.0, no.0, pp.1-13, 2025 (SSCI, Scopus) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 0 Issue: 0
  • Publication Date: 2025
  • Doi Number: 10.1177/13591053251328467
  • Journal Name: JOURNAL OF HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, ASSIA, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, PASCAL, CINAHL, Food Science & Technology Abstracts, MEDLINE, Psycinfo, Public Affairs Index
  • Page Numbers: pp.1-13
  • Open Archive Collection: AVESIS Open Access Collection
  • Bezmialem Vakıf University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This study assessed the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Fear of Cancer Scale (FOCS) among 285 state university students from December 2022 to February 2023. The validity analysis included language, content, and structural assessments, with structural validity examined through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Reliability was evaluated using item-total correlation, Cronbach’s Alpha, and split-half analysis. Results confirmed that the Turkish version maintained the original factor structure, with a two-dimensional model explaining 52.73% of the variance. Factor loadings ranged from 0.455 to 0.757, and confirmatory factor analysis indicated acceptable model fit. The scale showed excellent internal consistency, with an overall Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.920, and sub-dimension values of 0.870 for direct fear and 0.861 for indirect fear. These findings confirm the Turkish version of FOCS as a valid and reliable instrument for mea- suring cancer fear in non-oncological individuals.