Maturitas 79 (2014) 464–470 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Maturitas jou rn al hom ep age: www.elsevier.com/locate/maturitas The Hot Flush Beliefs and Behaviour Scale for Men (HFBBS-Men) undergoing treatment for prostate cancer M.S. Hunter a,∗ , C.F. Sharpley b,c , E. Stefanopoulou a , O. Yousaf a , V. Bitsika c , D.R.H. Christie b,d a Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, UK b Brain-Behaviour Research Group, University of New England, New South Wales, Australia c Centre for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Bond University, Queensland, Australia d GenesisCare, Queensland, Australia a r t i c l e i n f o Article history: Received 10 June 2014 Received in revised form 16 September 2014 Accepted 29 September 2014 Keywords: Prostate cancer Hot flushes Night sweats Cognitions Behaviour Oncology a b s t r a c t Objective: Hot flushes and night sweats (HFNS) are commonly experienced by men receiving treatment for prostate cancer. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has been found to be an effective treatment for HFNS in women, but cognitions and behavioural reactions to HFNS in men are under-researched. This study describes the development of the HFNS beliefs and behaviour scale for men. Methods: HFNS beliefs and behaviour items were generated from a qualitative study, from pilot interviews with men with prostate cancer and HFNS, and from scales used for women. 118 men with prostate cancer, aged above 18, English-speaking, who had minimum of seven HFNS weekly for at least 1 month, completed the initial measure, and measures of HFNS frequency, problem rating, anxiety and depression (HADS). Principal components analyses with orthogonal rotation determined the most coherent solution. Results: Exploratory factor analysis culminated in a 17-item HFNS beliefs and behaviour scale for men (HFBBS-Men) with three subscales: (1) HFNS social context and sleep, (2) Calm/Acceptance, (3) Humour/Openness. The subscales had reasonable internal consistency (Cronbach alpha 0.56–0.83). Valid- ity was supported, by correlations between subscale 1, HFNS frequency, problem-rating and mood; men with locally advanced cancer more likely to adopt Calm/Acceptance and those with metastatic cancer Humour/Openness. Conclusions: Preliminary analysis of the HFBBS-Men suggests that it is a psychometrically sound instru- ment, grounded in men’s experiences. As a measure of cognitive and behavioural reactions to HF/NS, the HFBBS-Men should increase understanding of the mediators of outcomes of psychological interventions, such as CBT. © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common non-dermatological cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in men in the Western world [1]. While the 5-year survival rate in the UK is generally good, PCa survivors face unwanted treatment side effects, which are particularly troublesome following andro- gen deprivation therapy (ADT) and which can continue for up to 5–8 years [2]. These include hot flushes and night sweats (HFNS), ∗ Corresponding author at: Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, Department of Psychology, 5th Floor Bermondsey Wing, Guy’s Hospital, Great Maze Pond, London Bridge, London SE1 9RT, UK. Tel.: +44 0207 188 0189. E-mail address: myra.hunter@kcl.ac.uk (M.S. Hunter). gynecomastia, cognitive function, and changes in sexual function [3]. HFNS are estimated to affect up to 80% of PCa patients [4], and are associated with distress and reduced quality of life – particularly affecting sleep and physical well-being [5]. The management of these symptoms is problematic; a recent systematic review of treat- ments for HFNS in PCa patients concluded that few effective and well-tolerated treatments are available, and that a priority should be the development of acceptable treatments that are free from side effects [6]. Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for HFNS has been developed, by Hunter and colleagues, and found to be a safe and effective intervention for women with troublesome HFNS, going through a natural menopause [7] and experiencing HFNS following breast cancer treatments [8,9]. HFNS in men are under researched compared to those experi- enced by menopausal women or by women following breast cancer treatments. However, the available evidence suggests that they are http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2014.09.014 0378-5122/© 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.