[Development of a new multidimensional inventory to assess subjective symptoms in perimenopause women, using a...

The multidimensional inventory is a 60-item self-report instrument designed to measure perimenopausal subjective symptoms. It covers the following 5 dimentions: sexual function, mental condition, interpersonal anxiety, autonomic balance, and the other subjective symptoms. We conducted a survey of perimenopausal subjective symptoms in 670 women between 40 and 59 years old, who were living in an urban (n=329) or rural area (n=341). The dimensional structure was determined statistically using confirmatory factor analysis. The hypothesized five-factor model appeared to fit the data in all samples tested, with enough validity (RMSEA=0.050, GFI=0.802, and AGFI=0.786). The instrument was found to have appropriate internal consistency, with an average Chronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.959. There was no significant difference in the severity of subjective symptoms between the residential areas. We found a positive correlation between the severity of subjective symptoms and the level of stress (urban women: r=0.465, P<0.01; rural women: r=0.455, P<0.01). Our findings suggest that the new multidimentional inventory may provide a useful instrument for evaluating the effect of a drug on subjective symptoms in perimenopausal women.