The psychometric properties of the Persian Menopause Rating Scale

Abstract

Background: To measure the severity of menopausal complaints and determine the pattern of menopausal symptoms, a valid and reliable instrument is needed in women’s healthcare. The Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) is one of the best-known tools in response to the lack of standardized scales. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the MRS in an Iranian example. Methods: Participants were randomly selected from women referred to healthcare centers in Miandoab, West Azerbaijan, Iran. A total of 330 questionnaires were completed (response rate of 96.9%). Two samples were considered for analysis in the validation process. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on the first sample (n1 =165), and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was done using a second study sample (n2 = 165). The psychometric properties process was concluded with assessment of internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Results: The EFA with Principal Component Analysis extracted three factors explaining 75.47% cumulative variance. The CFA confirmed a three-factor structure of the 11-items MRS. All fit indices proved to be satisfactory. The relative chi-square (χ2/df) was 3.686 (p < .001). The Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) of the model was .04 (90% CI = .105 – .150). All comparative indices of the model, including the Comparative Fit Index, Normed Fit Index, and Relative Fit Index, were more than .80 (.90, .87, and .80, respectively). For the overall scale, Cronbach’s alpha was .931, whereas the alpha for the subscales ranged from 0.705-0.950. The intraclass correlation was .91 (95% CI = .89-.93), p < 0.001. Conclusion: The results of the study indicate that the Persian model of the MRS is a valid and reliable scale. As a screening tool, the Persian MRS could be used to identify the pattern of symptoms among menopausal, premenopausal, and postmenopausal women to care for and educate them on how to identify and treat the symptoms.

Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) in the Malay language-translation and validation in a multiethnic population of Selangor, Malaysia

“…Malaysian women expressed no concerns about the ambiguous words or phrases Malay language version of MRS. This study confirms that the overall reliability of the Malay language version of MRS was as good as previously reported, with a Cronbach's alpha of greater than 0.80 [16][17][18][19][20]. However, in a multi-national methodological study of MRS, Heinman et al reported a Cronbach's alpha range of 0.60 to 0.90 [15].…”

“…However, in a multi-national methodological study of MRS, Heinman et al reported a Cronbach's alpha range of 0.60 to 0.90 [15]. Comparable reliability statistics were reported for Persian, Urdu, and Indonesian Bahasa versions conducted in similar socio-cultural contexts [18][19][20]. A relatively lower Cronbach alpha for urogenital and somatic compared to the psychological domain was observed in studies on validation of Chinese, Serbian and Urdu MRS versions [16][17][18].…”

“…In previous research on translated versions of MRS, confirmatory factor analysis has encountered "straddling" with the factor structure of MRS [17,19,29]. To establish the construct validity of Malay language version of MRS, Exploratory Structural Equation Modelling (ESEM) is the recommended statistical approach which integrates the best features of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses by allowing cross-loadings of items in the analyses while taking on the features of structural equation modelling [30].…”

“…Cronbach's alpha indicated overall reliability of 0.83 in several countries [15]. MRS versions in Serbian [16], traditional Chinese [17], Urdu [18], Persian [19], and Indonesian Bahasa [20] have demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity.…”

The effect of oral vitamin E and omega-3 alone and in combination on menopausal hot flushes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…The items receive scores from 1 to 4 (1=none, 2=a little, 3=moderately, 4=a lot). 33 In four studies, 25,[28][29][30] the intensity of hot flushes was measured using the scale developed by the Food and Drug Association (FDA). This scale is scored as mild (feeling overheated without sweating), moderate (feeling overheated and sweating and no interference with daily activities, and severe (feeling overheated and sweating with interference in daily activities) receiving the scores 1, 2, and 3, respectively.…”