Abstract:

Objective To systematically evaluate the measurement properties and methodological quality of assessment tools for reproductive concerns in women of reproductive age with cancer，and provide recommendations for selecting an appropriate reproductive concerns scale. Methods A systematic search of the China National Knowledge Infrastructure，China Biology Medicine disc，Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform and China Science and Technology Journal Database，PubMed，Embase，the Web of Science，the CINAHL Ultimate database was conducted to obtain the literature on the measurement properties of the reproductive concerns measure for women of reproductive age with cancer，the time limit for the retrieval was up to March 17，2024. Two researchers independently extracted information based on consensus-based standards for the selection of health measurement instruments（COSMIN），evaluated the included evaluation tools and formed final recommendations for the measuring table. Results A total of 16 studies involving 12 reproductive concerns scales were included，none of which reported criterion validity，measurement error，or responsiveness. Five scales，including the Reproductive Concerns After Cancer Scale（RCAC），had high-quality evidence of “inadequate” measurement properties and were rated as C-level scales，and the others were rated as B-level scales. Among them，the Chinese version of the RCAC had high levels of evidence of “adequate” structural validity，internal consistency，hypothesis testing，and cross-cultural validity，and the measurement properties were reported more comprehensively. Conclusion Compared to other scales，the measurement properties of the Chinese version of the RCAC have been evaluated in the most comprehensive way，with a better reliability and validity，and can be recommended for use.

Key words: Reproductive concerns, Assessment tools, Measurement properties, Systematic reviews