[Test on knowledge about climacteric: development and validation process]

To construct and validate a test of knowledge about the menopause.

The context for use of this test is the Autonomous Community of Andalusia.

1. Construction of the theoretical universe through the Delphi Technique. 2. Weighting of each of the dimensions of the theoretical universe. 3. Formulation and selection of the conceptual elements to introduce into the questionnaire and formulation of the corresponding items. 4. Selection of items and analysis of their internal consistency, homogeneity, stability and equivalence after a pilot study.

The questionnaire's pilot study was run with 150 Andalusian women, chosen through sampling by quotas of age, habitat and educational background.

A questionnaire with 56 true and false (T/F) items grouped in four dimensions was obtained: biological aspects (14 items), psychological and social aspects (14), health risks linked to the menopause (6), care and preventive and health-improvement activities at the menopause (22). Its validity and reliability were determined by the following results: internal consistency and overall homogeneity (Cronbach's alpha = 0.86); stability or absence of significant differences at the moment the questionnaire is run (Student's t = 1.09; p = 0.28); intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.753; equivalence or absence of bias of the questioners (Student's t = 1.09; p = 0.28), ICC = 0.761.

The results lead us to conclude that the instrument is stable, allowing for the independence of the time and questioner variables, with high internal consistency and representing well the conceptual elements that shape the theoretical universe.