title: The Hot Flush Behavior Scale: a measure of behavioral reactions to menopausal hot flushes and night sweats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is increasing interest in the development of nonmedical treatments for menopausal hot flushes (HF) and night sweats (NS) and some evidence that cognitive behavioral interventions reduce their impact. However, the behavioral component of HF/NS is underresearched. This article describes the development of the Hot Flush Behavior Scale (HFBehS), a measure of the behavioral strategies that women use in response to HF/NS, and reports on the reliability, validity, and factor structure of the scale.
  
  
  METHODS
  Behavioral items were generated from the empirical literature and qualitative studies based on in-depth interviews, with the aim of reflecting common behaviors related to HF/NS. A total of 140 women who had HF/NS completed the initial measure. Principal components analyses were applied to the data, with orthogonal rotation, to determine the most coherent and interpretable solution.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exploratory factor analysis culminated in an 11-item measure comprising three dimensions: behavioral avoidance, practical cooling behaviors, and positive behavioral strategies. The Hot Flush Beliefs Scale subscales had reasonable internal consistency, with α values ranging from 0.59 to 0.76. Validity was supported through correlations with measures of HF/NS problem rating and frequency and cognitive measures (HF/NS beliefs).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preliminary analysis of the HFBehS reveals it to be a psychometrically sound instrument. The HFBehS is grounded in women's experiences and can be used as a measure of behavioral reactions to HF/NS as well as enabling more rigorous evaluation of psychological interventions.
authors: Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK. myra.hunter@kcl.ac.uk
authors: Myra S
authors: MS
authors: Hunter
authors: Beverley
authors: B
authors: Ayers
authors: Melanie
authors: M
authors: Smith
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003071:Cognition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013546:Sweating