A cultural adaptation and testing on the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Menopause Symptom Assessment Scale

Abstract

Objective The aim of this study was to modify the Chinese version of the Menopause Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS) and evaluate its validity and reliability. Methods An expert panel from the gynecology and nursing domain determined items that should remain or be revised, and 30 participants were selected for the pilot study. A total of 255 women who met the criteria for inclusion were enrolled in the investigation. SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 25.0 were used to analyze data. The internal and external reliability of the scale was evaluated using Cronbach's α coefficient, split-half reliability, and test-retest reliability, respectively. Expert review, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis were used to evaluate the scale's validity, which encompasses both its content validity and structural validity. Results The Chinese version of the MSAS contains 43 items with 5 dimensions, including sexual function, psychological status, interpersonal anxiety, autonomic balance, and other subjective symptoms. The correlation coefficient (r value) between individual items and the total scale ranged from 0.49 to 0.67 (P < 0.05); the Item-Content Validity Index range from 0.80 to 1.00, and Scale-Content Validity Index was 0.91; the Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.85, and the test-retest reliability was 0.93; exploratory factor analysis revealed a cumulative variance contribution of 76.98%; the fitting index of the scale structure model was good. Conclusions The updated Chinese version of the MSAS presented good reliability and validity and could be applied in assessing menopausal symptoms in Chinese women.