Validation of POMS questionnaire in postmenopausal women

To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Profile of Mood States (POMS) in postmenopausal women with moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms.

Internal consistency, validity, and reliability of the POMS were examined using blinded data from 539 postmenopausal women with ≥50 moderate to severe hot flushes per week at baseline enrolled in a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the efficacy and safety of desvenlafaxine (administered as desvenlafaxine succinate) for vasomotor symptoms.

The POMS subscales and total score demonstrated sound internal consistency reliability (α ≥ 0.84). Comparisons between POMS subscales and Total Mood Disturbance (TMD) scores with Greene Climacteric Scale domains provided consistent known-groups and construct validity. Results from the confirmatory factor analysis were supportive of the second-order factor structure (root-mean-square error of approximation = 0.078). For women with POMS TMD scores below the US adult female norms, there was little mean change at Week 12 but marked mean improvement in women with greater mood symptoms scoring worse than the norm at baseline.

These data demonstrate the internal consistency and validity of the POMS to measure mood among postmenopausal women with moderate to severe hot flushes and the responsiveness of the POMS among these women with greater mood symptoms.