Correlation among four questionnaires that evaluate menopausal symptoms.

OBJECTIVE

The number of specific scales to measure menopausal symptoms has increased significantly in the last decades. However, the lack of standardization as well as prioritization of which scale should be used in exploring menopausal symptoms poses problems in most populations. Thus, we aimed at demonstrating the correlation among four questionnaires evaluating menopausal symptoms: the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), Greene Climacteric Scale (GCS), Kupperman Menopausal Index, and Women's Health Questionnaire (WHQ).

METHODS

We recruited 336 women between 40 and 65 years of age who responded to all four questionnaires. For each questionnaire, we calculated the overall score and the subscale scores. We then compared variables using the Spearman rank correlation coefficient (Rho).

RESULTS

We found a very strong correlation (Rho > 0.80; P  < 0.001) between all the questionnaires. The strongest correlations were those observed in the comparisons involving the GCS (Rho 0.92-0.95; P  < 0.001), whereas the weakest ones were observed using the WHQ scale (Rho -0.86 to -0.89; P  < 0.001). Like in the overall score analyses, vasomotor, somatic, and psychological symptoms demonstrated the strongest correlations in the GCS comparisons and the weakest correlations between the WHQ and MRS.

CONCLUSIONS

The MRS, GCS, Kupperman Menopausal Index, and WHQ assessed menopausal symptoms in a very similar way. We recommend further studies to adjust and improve the existing questionnaires, test their robustness in different settings, and ensure their applicability in research and clinical practice.