title: [The Menopause Rating Scale (MRS II): methodological standardization in the German population].
abstract: The Menopause-Rating-Scale (MRS I) was used in clinical practice since 1992. The physician had to document the severity of 10 important estrogen-related climacteric symptoms. Practical experience and a critical methodological evaluation justified a revision: The MRS I should be converted into a self-administrative rating scale, the wording somewhat optimized, the layout adjusted and one item added. The standardization of the new scale (MRS II) was performed in a representative sample of the German population aged 45-60 years. Three dimensions were extracted from the menopausal symptoms using multivariate statistical techniques: somato-vegetative, psychological, and urogenital complexes of symptoms. A simple evaluation scheme was developed for the MRS II by summing up scoring points. Reference values for the frequency of 4 levels of intensity of complaints in the population were defined and provided for purposes of comparison. The MRS II meets a high methodological standard as an instrument standardized in the population. Moreover, it is convenient to apply this instrument in daily practice in order to quantitate variation of menopausal complaints.
authors.affiliation: I + G Gesundheitsforschung GmbH & Co., München.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Potthoff
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Heinemann
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Rosemeier
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Hauser
mesh_terms: D002979:Climacteric / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012015:Reference Standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile
vernacular_title: Menopause-Rating-Skala (MRS II): Methodische Standardisierung in der deutschen Bevölkerung.