The Development And Preliminary Application Of Proactive Coping Inventory Of Menstrual Problems(MPPCI)

Proactive coping refers to taking measures in advance to prevent potential stress events from occurring or to proactively change their form,which falls under the scope of positive psychology.Menstrual-related problems have a wide-ranging impact on women’s physiological and social functioning,including early menarche,irregular cycles,dysmenorrhea,premenstrual syndrome,and others.Current research has mainly focused on stress situations,aging adaptation,risk decision-making,subjective well-being,and life meaning experience,but there is little research exploring the role of proactive coping in menstrual problems in women.Previous research on menstrual problems has tended to focus on traditional coping methods,which differ from proactive coping methods,and there is no specific measurement tool for proactive coping related to menstrual problems.This study aims to develop a questionnaire for proactive coping related to menstrual problems in women and to explore the role of this questionnaire in understanding social support and women’s physical and mental health.The aim of the first study was to explore the theoretical dimensions of the proactive coping questionnaire for menstrual problems through qualitative research.The theoretical foundation was established through literature analysis,semi-structured interviews,and brainstorming methods.Open-ended questioning and brainstorming meetings with 20 women regarding their proactive coping strategies for menstrual problems were also conducted to initially develop a pool of proactive coping items.The questionnaire was then evaluated and refined by a discussion group,resulting in a final proactive coping questionnaire for menstrual problems consisting of 24 items across five dimensions.The aim of this second study was to explore the proactive coping questionnaire for menstrual problems through difference analysis,item analysis,exploratory factor analysis,and reliability testing.A preliminary version of the questionnaire consisting of 19 items was developed.602 women completed the preliminary version of the questionnaire,and the difference analysis between proactive coping for menstrual problems and demographic and menstrual characteristics showed that proactive coping was only significantly related to dysmenorrhea frequency,while other demographic and menstrual characteristics were not significantly related.Item analysis and exploratory factor analysis resulted in the deletion of items 5,8,and 15 and the extraction of three main factors.Reliability testing of the questionnaire showed good overall reliability and reliability of each dimension.The third study was conducted to further validate the initial version of the questionnaire for premenstrual coping strategies,including its reliability(internal consistency and split-half reliability)and validity(criterion-related validity and structural validity),with a total of 717 women completing the relevant questionnaire.The reliability and validity of each dimension met the corresponding statistical requirements,and the three-factor structural model of the questionnaire fit well,demonstrating high reliability and stability.Based on this research,a structural equation model was further validated for the preliminary application of premenstrual coping strategies.It was found that social support has a positive predictive effect on premenstrual coping strategies,while both social support and premenstrual coping strategies have a negative predictive effect on premenstrual syndrome.In addition,both social support and premenstrual coping strategies not only have a direct negative predictive effect on premenstrual syndrome but can also alleviate premenstrual syndrome and reduce depression levels.In conclusion,the questionnaire for premenstrual coping strategies has a stable factor structure,good reliability and validity,and can provide an effective measurement tool for women’s premenstrual coping strategies.