The Nigerian Aging Males' Symptoms scale. Experience in elderly males

A reliability generalization meta-analysis of coefficient alpha and test-retest coefficient for the aging males' symptoms (AMS) scale

PURPOSE

The aging males' symptoms (AMS) scale is an instrument used to determine the health-related quality of life in adult and elderly men. The purpose of this study was to synthesize internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and test-retest reliability for the AMS scale and its three subscales.

METHODS

Of the 123 studies reviewed, 12 provided alpha coefficients which were then used in the meta-analyses of internal consistency. Seven of the 12 included studies provided test-retest coefficients, and these were used in the meta-analyses of test-retest reliability.

RESULTS

The AMS scale had excellent internal consistency [α = 0.89 (95% CI 0.88-0.90)]; the mean alpha estimates across the AMS subscales ranged from 0.79 to 0.82. The AMS scale also had good test-retest reliability [r = 0.85 (95% CI 0.82-0.88]; the test-retest reliability coefficients of the AMS subscales ranged from 0.76 to 0.83. There was significant heterogeneity among the included studies.

CONCLUSIONS

The AMS scale and the three subscales had fairly good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Future psychometric studies of the AMS scale should report important characteristics of the participants, details of item scores, and test-retest reliability.

The reproductive health indices and sex hormone levels in middle-aged and elderly Chinese men

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to analyze the age-related recession trajectory of reproductive health indices in middle-aged and elderly Chinese men.

METHODS

A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Jiashan County, Zhejiang in 2012. Healthy men between 40 and 80 years of age were considered eligible for the study. Physical examination and the sex hormones were measured. The subjects were assessed based on the 5-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) for Erectile Dysfunction (ED), and Aging Males' Symptoms (AMS) scale for Symptomatic Late-Onset Hypogonadism (SLOH).

RESULTS

TG showed a decrease at age 60 years. Testis volume and TT did not show significant difference among the four age groups; cFT began to decrease at age 50 years and Bio-T decreased faster at age 50 years. SHBG and LH increased faster at age 50 and 70 years, respectively. IIEF5 score decrease faster at age 60 years. AMS scores increased faster at age 70 years. With the increase in age, the symptoms of ED and SLOH became severer.

CONCLUSION

Different indices on reproductive health of men showed turning points at different ages. At first, androgenic sex hormones decreased faster, and then erectile dysfunction got severer, and the last overall male syndromes declined.

Sintomas de disfunção sexual em homens com 40 ou mais anos de idade: prevalência e fatores associados

Objetivo: O estudo objetivou verificar os fatores associados aos sintomas sexuais do envelhecimento masculino em uma amostra representativa em homens com idade igual ou superior a 40 anos da cidade de Pelotas, RS. Métodos: Foi realizado um estudo transversal de base populacional, incluindo 421 homens que residiam na zona urbana do município. Para avaliar os sintomas sexuais do envelhecimento masculino foi utilizada a dimensão sexual da escala AMS - The Aging Male´s Symptoms Scale . Resultados: A prevalência dos sintomas sexuais do envelhecimento masculino foi de 64,3% (IC 95%: 59,3%-69,1%). Na análise multivariável o desfecho esteve associado diretamente idade e inversamente a autopercepção de saúde. Conclusão: Concluiu-se que a prevalência de sintomas sexuais na população masculina é importante. Políticas de saúde pública aliada ao aumento de hábitos de vida saudáveis poderiam minimizar esta prevalência e proporcionar melhor qualidade de vida a homens de meia idade e idosos.

The "Aging Males' Symptoms" Scale (AMS): predictive value for lowered circulating androgens

BACKGROUND

Symptoms of the "male climacteric" are often at least in part referred to an age-dependent decline of serum androgen levels. Therefore, we evaluated the relationship of climacteric symptoms as assessed by the "Aging Males' Symptoms" (AMS) Questionnaire with circulating androgen levels.

METHODS

146 ambulatory men (age, 27-85 years) were surveyed with the AMS Questionnaire and sampled for serum values of total testosterone (tT) and sexual hormone binding globulin (SHBG). Free testosterone (fT) was calculated from tT and SHBG. A total AMS score ≥37 was considered pathological; the lower limits for tT and fT were set to 8 nmol/l and 180 pmol/l, respectively.

RESULTS

A significant deficit in tT and fT was shown in 25 (17.1%) and 34 (24.5%) men, respectively; the AMS Questionnaire showed pathological results for 66 (45.2%) men. In predicting a tT deficit, the AMS Questionnaire rendered a sensitivity of 76% and a specificity of 61.6%, only. However, multiple regression analysis revealed a significant correlation of lowered tT with a pathological somatovegetative and psychological AMS subscore (p = 0.042 and p = 0.01) and a correlation of lowered fT with a pathological sexual subscore (p = 0.039).

CONCLUSION

In predicting hypogonadism the AMS Questionnaire in total did not render a sufficient diagnostic efficiency.

Atividade física e sintomas do envelhecimento masculino em uma população do sul do Brasil

O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar a associação dos sintomas do envelhecimento masculino com o nível de atividade física no lazer e no deslocamento em homens de 40 anos ou mais da cidade de Pelotas, RS. MÉTODOS: Foi realizado um estudo transversal de base populacional incluindo 421 homens que residissem na zona urbana do município. Para avaliar os sintomas do envelhecimento masculino foi utilizada a escala AMS-The Aging Male's Symptoms Scale e para verificar o nível de atividade física foi utilizado o International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) na versão longa. Para ser considerado ativo, era necessário atingir 150 min de atividade física por semana. RESULTADOS: A prevalência de sedentarismo nos domínios da atividade física do lazer e do deslocamento foi de 82,9% (IC95% 78,9-86,4). Os sintomas psicológicos e somáticos, além do escore geral do envelhecimento, diferiram significativamente entre os sedentários e os ativos (p < 0,05; p = 0,001; p = 0,02, respectivamente). A gravidade do escore geral também foi mais prevalente entre os sujeitos sedentários (p = 0,01), sendo que 90% destes apresentaram sintomas graves. CONCLUSÃO: A presença dos sintomas psicológicos e somáticos e, consequentemente do escore geral, bem como sua gravidade, foram menores entre aqueles sujeitos que atingiram as recomendações atuais de atividade física no lazer e no deslocamento.

Aging male's symptoms in a Southern Brazil population: lifestyle effects after the age of 40

BACKGROUND

The interest of epidemiological research about male's aging increased in recent years along with the need to evaluate health-related quality of life. We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study to identify the prevalence of aging male's symptoms (AMS) and factors associated to this condition.

METHODS

The study included 421 men aged 40 years or older, living in the urban area of Pelotas, Southern Brazil. The questionnaire covered sociodemographic, behavioral, and health variables, and to verify the aging male's symptoms, the AMS Scale was used.

RESULTS

Moderate/severe male's symptoms was considered positive (AMS scores equal or above 37 points) in 20% of men (95% CI 16.1; 24.3). After controlling for confounders, the AMS was significantly associated with aging, self-perceived health status and smoking. The symptoms were more severe among physically inactive men.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings support the necessity to maintain healthy behaviors like not smoking and regular physical activity since such changeable behaviors could reduce the AMS acceleration and increase life quality and expectancy.