A questionnaire for the assessment of the multiple dimensions of motion sickness.
BACKGROUND
A limited number of attempts have been made to develop a questionnaire that assesses the experience of motion sickness. Further, many available questionnaires quantify motion sickness as a unidimensional construct.


METHODS
Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of motion sickness descriptors were used to derive and verify four dimensions of motion sickness, which were defined as gastrointestinal, central, peripheral, and sopite-related. These dimensions of motion sickness were then used to construct a motion sickness assessment questionnaire (MSAQ) that was administered to individuals who were exposed to a rotating optokinetic drum.


RESULTS
Total scores from the MSAQ correlated strongly with overall scores from the Pensacola Diagnostic Index (r = 0.81, p < 0.001) and the Nausea Profile (r = 0.92, p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The MSAQ is a valid instrument for the assessment of motion sickness. In addition, the MSAQ may be used to assess motion sickness as a multidimensional rather than unidimensional construct.
Gianaros
P J
PJ
Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, USA. pjg4@pitt.edu
Muth
E R
ER
Mordkoff
J T
JT
Levine
M E
ME
Stern
R M
RM
D000328:Adult; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009041:Motion Sickness / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*