title: Validity and reliability of male andropause symptoms self-assessment questionnaire among elderly males in Khuzestan province of Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Andropause is a condition of decreasing testosterone in men that usually begins to occur at about 40 years of age. Many men find it difficult to acknowledge there may be a problem by refusing to even talk about the symptoms.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The study was conducted to the standards of MASSQ (2012) within male older adults to introduce a relevant criterion.
  
  
  METHODS
  About 382 men with age range of 50-80 and with the mean age of 65.3 ± 2.32 were sampled with the cluster-ratio sampling method from the eight cities of Khuzestan province in southwestern Iran. The aged samples replied to the 25 items of MASSQ.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Coefficients of Cronbach's alpha (α = 0.89), split-half (0.91), convergent validity (0.72), divergent validity (-0.32), and criterion validity (0.67) were estimated, which were significant at P < 0.01. The exploratory factor analysis demonstrated that the 25-items of MASSQ for aged samples are organized into four factors (sexual, somatic, psychic, and behavioral) which clarify 79% of the scale's variance. Second-order confirmatory factor analysis pointed out that the factors are well-matched up onto a principal factor. Consequently, the four-factor model was well appropriate for the data by the fit index techniques for adjusting the scale [adjusted goodness of fit index = 0.92, goodness-of-fit statistic = 0.91, root mean square error of approximation = 0.006, incremental fit index = 0.94, normed fit index = 0.91, comparative fit index = 0.97].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results pointed to the well-adjusted reliability and validity of MASSQ and its usefulness for the relevant studies as well.
authors.affiliation: Social Gerontology, Australian Centre on Quality of Life, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia ; Department of Community Health, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Mazandaran University of Medical Siences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Abdolrahim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Asadollahi
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Mazandaran University of Medical Siences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Laleh Fani
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Saberi
authors.affiliation: Aging Care Department, Bureau of Prevention and Rehabilitation, Ahwaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Nasrin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Faraji
keywords: Ahwaz metropolis; Iran; andropause; elderly men; male andropause symptoms self-assessment questionnaire; validity and reliability