Development of Korean Menstrual Symptom Scale for University Students

Area of Science:

• Psychometrics
• Women's Health
• Gynecology

Background:

• Menstrual symptoms significantly impact university students' well-being and academic performance.
• Existing tools may not adequately capture the nuances of menstrual symptom experiences in this demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Korean Menstrual Symptom Scale (KMSS) tailored for university students.
• To establish the reliability and validity of the newly developed KMSS.

Main Methods:

• The KMSS was developed through literature review, item generation, and content/construct validity verification.
• Data from 391 university students were analyzed using factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha for reliability.
• The final scale consists of 37 items across six factors.

Main Results:

• The KMSS includes 37 items categorized into six factors: negative affection, activity level changes, physical symptoms, mood changes, concentration changes, and water retention.
• The scale explained 63.3% of the variance.
• The overall Cronbach's alpha was 0.96, with factor-specific alphas ranging from 0.75 to 0.91, indicating high reliability.

Conclusions:

• The Korean Menstrual Symptom Scale (KMSS) is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing menstrual symptoms in university students.
• Further research is recommended to evaluate the KMSS in diverse age groups.