Cognitive Testing of a Survey Instrument for Self-Assessed Menstrual Cycle Characteristics and Androgen Excess
November 2020
in “
Fertility Research and Practice
”
TLDR The survey helps identify menstrual irregularities and excess male hormones, aiming to detect conditions like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
The document discusses a study by Mahalingaiah et al. that tested a survey instrument for self-assessed menstrual cycle characteristics and androgen excess, including hirsutism, alopecia, and acne. The survey, which included 219 questions, was cognitively tested to identify and revise questions that were not easily understood or recalled. The revised survey was then used in the Ovulation and Menstruation (OM) Health Pilot study. The survey instrument is designed to be understood by those with 8th grade level English language proficiency and aims to accurately identify cases of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and other conditions related to menstrual irregularity and androgen excess. Future studies will validate self-reported features against a gold standard such as medical record validation of PCOS diagnosis, reproductive health conditions, and androgen excess.
