Development and preliminary validation of the Menopause Symptoms Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (MS-TSQ)

OBJECTIVE: The Menopause Symptoms Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire, an eight-item questionnaire with a 4-week recall period, was developed to assess women's satisfaction with treatment for symptoms associated with menopause. We describe the development and initial testing of the scale. DESIGN: Following standard instrument-development procedures, focus groups were conducted with menopausal women experiencing hot flushes to generate potential constructs. Multiple items were drafted to address each construct. An iterative process of cognitive testing, item revision, and item reduction was followed to identify the most appropriate items and optimal response scales. The psychometric validation of the questionnaire used data collected through a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study including 543 postmenopausal women. Psychometric analyses were conducted to explore potential item reduction and to address questionnaire scaling and scoring. Internal consistency reliability, construct validity, and discriminant validity of the new scale were also examined. RESULTS: The questionnaire includes items addressing the control of daytime and nighttime hot flushes; effects of treatment on sleep, mood, libido, and cognition; medication tolerability; and overall satisfaction. Correlation analyses indicated that the items are related to each other without being overly redundant and that the item set is best described using a one-factor model. The subsequent scale score demonstrated sound internal consistency reliability, strong construct validity, and good discriminant validity. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the development and initial validation are favorable. It is expected that the questionnaire will prove to be a worthwhile tool for assessing women's satisfaction with treatment for menopausal symptoms.