Development and Testing of the Dysmenorrhea Symptom Interference (DSI) Scale.

Area of Science:

• Women's Health
• Pain Management
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Dysmenorrhea (period pain) is common in reproductive-age women and linked to future pain.
• Effective interventions require validated outcome measures for accurate evaluation.
• Current measures may not fully capture the impact of dysmenorrhea on daily functioning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and psychometrically test a new scale measuring dysmenorrhea symptom interference.
• To assess the scale's reliability, validity, and responsiveness to change.
• To provide a tool for research and clinical practice in managing dysmenorrhea.

Main Methods:

• A two-phase study involving scale development (n=30) and testing (n=686).
• Qualitative data from cognitive interviews informed the nine-item scale development.
• Reliability (Cronbach's α, test-retest), validity (content, construct, concurrent), and responsiveness were evaluated.

Main Results:

• The Dysmenorrhea Symptom Interference Scale demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach's α > 0.9) and acceptable test-retest reliability (r=0.8).
• The scale exhibited satisfactory content, construct (supported by CFA), and concurrent validity.
• The scale was responsive to change, with a minimally important difference of 0.3 points (scale 1-5).

Conclusions:

• A new, psychometrically sound Dysmenorrhea Symptom Interference Scale has been developed and validated.
• This scale accurately measures the impact of dysmenorrhea on physical, mental, and social activities.
• The scale is suitable for use in research and clinical settings to improve dysmenorrhea management.