Author:
Myon Eric,Martin Nicolas,Taïeb Charles
Abstract
Abstract
Background
The AMS is an internationally used health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scale. The aim of this paper is to provide evidence that the French AMS scale measures HRQoL are as valid as other language versions. We also intend to show whether the application of AMS is really limited to aging males only or not. More generally, we like to demonstrate that the AMS scale is a relevant, validated, sensitive instrument to measure HRQoL and change of symptoms in France.
Methods
We performed a representative survey in France to get data AMS scale data. The French data were compared with existing data from other European countries. Only community-based data were used for this comparison.
Results and Discussion
Reliability (here consistency, Cronbach' s alpha) was found to be good and almost identical with other countries. Validity: the internal structure of the AMS (factorial analysis) was sufficiently comparable with the comparison group of other countries in Europe to conclude that the scale really measures the same phenomenon. The sub-scores and total score correlations (Pearson) were high (r = 0.8–0.9) but only somewhat lower among the sub-scales (r = 0.5–0.7). This suggests that the domains are correlated.
The comparison of the French AMS with the generic quality-of-life scale SF-12 showed a good correlation (Pearson r = 0.48 – 0.51) as reported from other countries. We observed also a good correlation between the AMS scale and the depression scale HAD (Pearson r = 0.62).
The analysis of the AMS structure across age groups showed sufficient similarity to suggest that the AMS is also useful for younger age groups.
Conclusion
The French AMS scale is a standardized HRQoL scale with good psychometric characteristics (reliability, validity) as shown for other international versions. We suggest that the AMS scale could be also used in age groups under 40 years to measure and compare HRQoL in males. Since the application of the AMS in younger age was not investigated before, confirmation in future studies is needed.
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health,General Medicine
Reference8 articles.
1. Heinemann LAJ, Zimmermann T, Vermeulen A, Thiel C: A New 'Aging Male's Symptoms' (AMS) Rating Scale. Aging Male 1999, 2: 105–114.
2. Heinemann LAJ, Saad F, Thiele K, Wood-Dauphinee S: The Aging Males' Symptoms (AMS) rating scale. Cultural and linguistic validation into English. Aging Male 2001, 3: 14–22.
3. Heinemann LAJ, Saad F, Pöllänen P: Measurement of Quality of Life Specific for Aging Males. In Hormone Replacement Therapy and Quality of Life. Edited by: Schneider HPG. Parthenon Publishing Group. London, New York, Washington; 2002:63–83.
4. Heinemann LAJ, Saad F, Zimmermann T, Novak A, Myon E, Badia X, Potthoff P, T'Sjoen G, Pöllänen P, Goncharow NP, Kim S, Giroudet C: The Aging Males' Symptoms (AMS) scale: update and compilation of international versions. Health Qual Life Outcomes 2003, 1: 15. 10.1186/1477-7525-1-15
5. Convay K, Heinemann LAJ, Giroudet C, Johannes EJ, Myon E, Taieb C, Raynaud JP: Harmonized French version of the Aging Males' Symptoms Scale. Aging Male 2003, 6: 106–109.
Cited by
6 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献