Development of a Functional and Emotional Measure of Dysmenorrhea (FEMD) in Chinese University Women

Primary dysmenorrhea, or cramps, causes pain, limits activity, and increases emotional tension in young women, but its measurement has not received enough research attention. We have developed a functional and emotional measure of dysmenorrhea (FEMD, 14 items), and trialed it with a sample of 833 Chinese university women. Two factors (scales) were extracted by principal component analysis (PCA) and subsequently approved by a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The two scales were intercorrelated and were correlated with experienced pain severity and, to a lesser degree, with the depressive tendency. We have demonstrated that FEMD has stable components that might help measure dysmenorrhea-related dysfunctions.