# The German 12‐Item Brief Form of the Cancer Behavior Inventory (CBI‐B‐D‐12): Factor Structure, Reliability, and Criterion Validity

## TL;DR

The study validates a German version of a 12-item questionnaire that measures cancer patients' self-efficacy in coping with their illness.

## Contribution

The study provides a psychometric evaluation of the German version of the Cancer Behavior Inventory Brief Form (CBI-B-D-12).

## Key findings

- The German CBI-B-D-12 has a 4-factor structure with good fit and internal consistency.
- The questionnaire shows strong criterion validity when correlated with quality of life and distress measures.

## Abstract

The Cancer Behavior Inventory Brief Form (CBI‐B) allows assessing self‐efficacy for coping with cancer as a personal resource of patients facing a diagnosis of cancer and its treatment. While psychometric analyses of CBI‐B versions in other languages than English exist, the German version has not been analyzed more thoroughly in this respect yet.

Against this background, we analyzed the factor structure, internal consistency, and criterion validity of the German 12‐item version of the Cancer Behavior Inventory Brief Form, the CBI‐B‐D‐12.

Based on a pooled sample of N = 1034 cancer patients from various settings, we performed confirmative factor analyses, computed Cronbach's α and McDonald's ω for the 12‐item summary scale, and determined criterion correlations with measures of patients' health‐related quality of life, anxiety, depression, fear of progression, and fatigue.

With few adjustments, confirmative factor analysis revealed good fit of a 4‐factor model identifying the same dimensions of coping self‐efficacy as the original instrument (Maintaining Independence and Positive Attitude, Participating in Medical Care, Coping and Stress Management, and Managing Affect). With values of Cronbach's α and McDonald's ω being 0.89 and 0.88 respectively, estimates of the scale's internal consistency were good, and criterion correlations further supported its validity.

The German 12‐item version of the CBI‐B represents a reliable measure of cancer patients' self‐efficacy for coping with cancer that is valid in terms of factorial structure and correlations with major distress and quality of life criteria. It may thus be used in clinical practice and psycho‐oncological research.