title: Measuring the psychosocial burden in women  with low-grade abnormal cervical cytology in the  TOMBOLA trial: psychometric properties of the  Process and Outcome Specific Measure (POSM).
abstract: Background: There is a need for an instrument to measure the psychosocial burden of receiving an abnormal cervical cytology result which can be used regardless of the clinical management women receive.Methods: 3331 women completed the POSM as part of baseline psychosocial assessment in a trial of management of low grade cervical cytological abnormalities. Factor analysis and reliability assessment of the POSM were conducted.Results: Two factors were extracted from the POSM: Factor 1, containing items related to worry; and Factor 2 containing items relating to satisfaction with information and support received and change in the way women felt about themselves. Factor 1 had good reliability (Cronbach's alpha 0.769), however reliability of the Factor 2 was poorer(0.482). Data collected at four subsequent time points demonstrated that the factor structure was stable over time.Conclusion: This study demonstrates the presence and reliability of a scale measuring worries within the POSM. This analysis will inform its future use in this population and in other related contexts.
authors.forename: Kieran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rothnie
authors.forename: Seonaidh C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Cotton
authors.forename: Shona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fielding
authors.forename: Nicola M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Little
authors.forename: Margaret E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Cruickshank
authors.forename: Leslie G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Avis
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sharp
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012649:Self Concept; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006113:United Kingdom; D002577:Uterine Cervical Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult