[Efficient assessment of premenstrual symptoms - German translation of the shortened Premenstrual Assessment Form and its psychometric evaluation].

Abstract

Premenstrual symptomatology is a widespread and yet under-researched problem. To date, there is no German instrument for assessing the broad spectrum of possible symptoms and their degree of expression. For this reason, the short versions of the Premenstrual Assessment Form with 20 and 10 items were translated and validated in a sample of N=147 menstruating persons. The internal consistencies of the 20-item and 10-item versions are high (Cronbach's α_PAF20=0.93 and α_PAF10=0.88, respectively) and comparable to the original versions. Factor analysis identified two scales that assess psychological and physiological symptoms. Convergent validity was demonstrated by a correlation with the PMS Impact Questionnaire (r_PAF20=0.66, p<.001). This association was significantly higher (z=2.67, p=0.004) than the correlation with the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (r_PAF20=0.50, p<0.001), which verifies divergent validity. Additionally, cut-off values for suspected diagnoses based on DSM-V diagnostic criteria for both short forms were calculated. The translated Premenstrual Assessment Form is a valid, reliable, and parsimonious instrument that can be used flexibly. It is suitable for quantifying premenstrual symptomatology in research.