The Portuguese Version of the Perceived Control over Hot Flushes Index: Evaluation of its Psychometric Properties

Abstract

Aim: This research aims at validating an instrument to assess the perception of control over hot flushes, frequent symptoms during menopause. Method: A sample of 243 symptomatic women completed the Perceived Control over Hot Flushes Index, PCoHFI (Reynolds, 1997), two subscales from the Menopause Symptoms' Severity Inventory, MSSI-38 (Pimenta et al., 2011) to assess perceived loss of control and vasomotor symptoms, as well as a socio-demographic questionnaire. The construct, criterion and external validity, reliability and sensitivity were explored. Results: The exclusion of item 15 is suggested since it presents a negative factorial weight (λ =-.105; p = .134) and only 1.1% of its variance is explained by the construct. The PCoHFI manifested two factors: internal and external control attribution. It does not present convergent validity, but it has discriminant validity. Criterion validity is confirmed by a significant correlation with other similar constructs. Moreover, the PCoHFI evidences a good reliability and sensitivity. Conclusion: The PCoHFI manifests good psychometric properties and is an adequate instrument to assess this variable, which has been identified as a strong predictor of vasomotor symptoms' severity. Research and interventions with women who evidence severe hot flushes can benefit from the assessment of such construct.

Establishment of a reliable change index for the GAD-7

“…One method of measuring the effects of treatment is to administer questionnaires to clients to first assess their baseline state on some construct, and then to re-administer the questionnaire at a later time point to ascertain if there has been any change. Many instruments have been validated through assessment of its psychometric properties (Losoi et al, 2013;Marques et al, 2013;Pimenta, Leal, & Maroco, 2012) and comparison with other established measurements (Barry, Folkard, & Ayliffe, 2014). One common construct of interest to clients, clinicians, and third parties is anxiety, which is one of the most frequently presented problems that clients report when they seek therapy (Heafner, Silva, Tambling, & Anderson, 2016).…”