Experiences with the French Aging Males' Symptoms (AMS) scale.

Introduction: The aim of this paper is to report on experiences gained from the application of the French version of the Aging Males' Symptoms (AMS) scale, to show correlations with other relevant scales and to provide population reference values for France.

Methods: A representative survey based on an existing, representative population panel was performed in France (963 males, aged 15 + years). Other AMS data from Europe were then used for comparison.

The impact of a diagnosis of fibromyalgia on health care resource use by primary care patients in the UK: an observational study based on clinical practice.

Objective: To investigate the impact of a diagnosis of fibromyalgia (FM) in clinical practice on health care resource use in the UK.

Methods: Rates of visits, prescriptions, referral, and diagnostic testing were estimated in patients who had been diagnosed as having FM between 1998 and March 2003 in UK primary care and compared with those in matched controls. Rates were calculated in 6-month intervals from 10 years before until 4 years after the FM diagnosis.

The French Aging Males' Symptoms (AMS) scale: methodological review.

Background: The AMS is an internationally used health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scale. The aim of this paper is to provide evidence that the French AMS scale measures HRQoL are as valid as other language versions. We also intend to show whether the application of AMS is really limited to aging males only or not.

The Cardiff Acne Disability Index: cultural and linguistic validation in French.

Background: The Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI) evaluates the impact of acne on the patient's life.

Objective: The objective of the present study was to translate the CADI into French and to validate the French version.

Method: The CADI was translated into French following international methodological recommendations (translation, quality control, back-translation and pilot test).

The Aging Males' Symptoms (AMS) scale: review of its methodological characteristics.

Background: The current paper reviews data from different sources to get a closer impression on the psychometric and other methodological characteristics of the Aging Males' Symptoms (AMS) scale gathered recently. The scale was designed and standardized as self-administered scale to (a) to assess symptoms of aging (independent from those which are disease-related) between groups of males under different conditions, (b) to evaluate the severity of symptoms over time, and (c) to measure changes pre- and post androgen replacement therapy. The scale is in widespread use (14 languages).

The Aging Males' Symptoms (AMS) scale: update and compilation of international versions.

Background: The interest of clinical research in aging males increased in recent years and thereby the interest to measure health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and symptoms of aging men. The Aging Males' Symptoms scale (AMS) became the most commonly used scale to measure HRQoL and symptoms in aging males in many countries worldwide. The aim of this paper is to review the current state of the instrument particularly concerning versions of the scale in different languages in the light of the quality of the translation process.