The Development of a Valid and Reliable Questionnaire to Measure Menstrual Cycle and Hormonal Contraceptive Knowledge Among Athletes and Sports Performance Support Staff
Article
| Article Title | The Development of a Valid and Reliable Questionnaire to Measure Menstrual Cycle and Hormonal Contraceptive Knowledge Among Athletes and Sports Performance Support Staff |
|---|---|
| ERA Journal ID | 9803 |
| Article Category | Article |
| Authors | Larsen, Brianna, Greet, Erica, Bird, Stephen P., Quinn, Karlee, McNamara, Alice and Osborne, John O. |
| Journal Title | Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports |
| Journal Citation | 35 (11) |
| Article Number | e70167 |
| Number of Pages | 19 |
| Year | 2025 |
| Publisher | John Wiley & Sons |
| Place of Publication | United Kingdom |
| ISSN | 0905-7188 |
| 1600-0838 | |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.70167 |
| Web Address (URL) | https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/sms.70167 |
| Abstract | This study aimed to develop the first valid questionnaire to assess menstrual cycle (MC) and hormonal contraceptive (HC) knowledge in athletes and sports performance support staff. Questions were developed following a literature review and four knowledge domains were identified: (1) Normal MC Function, (2) MC Dysfunction, (3) Oral Contraceptive Pills, and (4) Other HCs. Experts (n = 6) reviewed the initial questionnaire, followed by pre-testing with athletes and support staff (n = 19). Validity (item analysis, construct validity) and reliability (test–retest, internal consistency) were assessed following questionnaire administration to athletes and staff without MC education (“Low Knowledge” [LK] group; n = 156) and “High Knowledge” [HK] participants (n = 30) with MC education. Most (n = 122) LK participants completed the questionnaire twice to assess test–retest reliability. Expert review showed good agreement (> 80%) on item clarity and relevancy and pre-testing indicated good content and face validity. The HK group scored significantly higher than LK participants across the questionnaire (43 ± 5 vs. 28 ± 10; p < 0.001; d = 1.48 [1.05, 1.90]) and all knowledge domains (p < 0.05). High item discrimination parameters were found for all domains, indicating effective discrimination between respondents with different knowledge levels. Test–retest reliability was excellent (intra-class correlation coefficient estimates from 0.93 [0.90, 0.95] to 0.98 [0.96, 0.99]), with all domains showing good-to-excellent reliability. Internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha) was considered acceptable (0.93 [0.92, 0.95]; α ≥ 0.7). This questionnaire delivers a valid and reliable tool to assess MC and HC knowledge amongst athletes and support staff and is recommended to guide and evaluate educational interventions to improve menstrual health literacy within sport. |
| Keywords | Menstrual Cycle; Hormonal Contraceptive; Knowledge; Athletes |
| Article Publishing Charge (APC) Funding | Project Funding |
| Contains Sensitive Content | Does not contain sensitive content |
| ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 420702. Exercise physiology |
| Byline Affiliations | School of Health and Medical Sciences |
| Centre for Health Research | |
| University of South Australia | |
| Queensland Academy of Sport, Australia | |
| MP Sports Physicians, Australia | |
| UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Norway | |
| Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service, Australia | |
| University of the Sunshine Coast | |
| Queensland University of Technology |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/100q60/the-development-of-a-valid-and-reliable-questionnaire-to-measure-menstrual-cycle-and-hormonal-contraceptive-knowledge-among-athletes-and-sports-performance-support-staff
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| Larsen 2025 SMSS 35(11) e70167.pdf | ||
| License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 | ||
| File access level: Anyone | ||
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