title: Somatosensory amplification and menopausal symptoms in breast cancer survivors and midlife women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Somatosensory amplification is the experience of sensing everyday bodily sensations as intense, agitating, and unpleasant. Using data from menopausal breast cancer survivors and midlife women without cancer, the study purposes were to (1) explore the psychometric properties of the Somatosensory Amplification Scale and (2) to describe somatosensory amplification and its relationship to menopausal symptoms of hot flashes, mood and sleep disturbance.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational study using demographic, e-diary, and questionnaire data from 99 breast cancer survivors and 138 midlife women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Somatosensory amplification, hot flashes (frequency, severity, bother, interference, perceived control), mood, and sleep.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cronbach's alphas for the scale were low. When an 8-item version of the scale was evaluated, alphas improved and item-total correlations remained strong or improved. Midlife women and breast cancer survivors did not have significantly different somatosensory amplification total or item scores after adjusting for group differences in demographics. Somatosensory amplification was significantly correlated with hot flash interference, perceived control over hot flashes, and mood and sleep disturbance in both groups but the patterns of correlations differed slightly between groups and depending on whether the 10-item or 8-item scale was used.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Somatosensory amplification may be a relevant concept to assess in relation to the menopausal symptom experience of midlife women with and without breast cancer as it may represent a potential intervention target to improve the menopausal symptom experience.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States. Electronic address: carpentj@iu.edu.
authors.forename: Janet S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Carpenter
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States.
authors.forename: Christele M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Igega
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States.
authors.forename: Julie L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Otte
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Technology, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States.
authors.forename: Debra S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States.
authors.forename: Menggang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States.
authors.forename: Jingwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D012677:Sensation; D012890:Sleep; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D020886:Somatosensory Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D017741:Survivors
keywords: Menopausal symptoms; Menopause; Somatosensory amplification; Women's health