--- title: Does a daily symptom tracker work well to measure PMS in Japanese women? description: Yes. The tracker reliably measures PMS symptoms. Researchers also created a shorter 8-question version that works well. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-reliability-and-validity-of-the-japanese-version-of-the-daily-record-of-2021/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does a daily symptom tracker work well to measure PMS in Japanese women? Study, 2021 # Does a daily symptom tracker work well to measure PMS in Japanese women? Yes. The tracker reliably measures PMS symptoms. Researchers also created a shorter 8-question version that works well. Moderate study design 304 Japanese women (243 who completed full tracking) ## What they did 304 Japanese women used a smartphone app to record PMS symptoms daily from 6 days before their period to 10 days after it started. Researchers checked if the tool gave consistent results when used at different times and if it measured what it was supposed to. ## What they found 243 women completed the full tracking. Symptoms were higher 1 day before menstruation started than 10 days after. Both the original 24-question and new 8-question versions gave consistent results, with the shorter version showing better structure. ## What it means for you The tool can help track PMS symptoms in Japanese women. The 8-question version is easier to use. The study looked only at Japanese women, so results may differ in other populations. 304 women participated 243 completed full tracking 8-item short form version ## About the study Original title The reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Daily Record of Severity of Problems (J-DRSP) and Development of a Short-Form version (J-DRSP (SF)) to assess symptoms of premenstrual syndrome among Japanese women Authors Ikeda Y, Egawa M, Okamoto K et al. Journal BioPsychoSocial medicine Year 2021 Study design Study Participants 304 What was tested Testing a daily symptom tracker tool for PMS Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1186/s13030-021-00208-z](https://doi.org/10.1186/s13030-021-00208-z) Original abstract Purpose: To assess the validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the Daily Record of Severity of Problems (J-DRSP, 24 items) for evaluating symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and to develop a short form version of the J-DRSP. Methods: Using the "DRSP-JAPAN" smartphone app, we collected daily J-DRSP records from cycle day - 6 (CD - 6) to CD 10, with CD 1 representing the menstruation onset date. Factorial validity (exploratory factor analysis: EFA, confirmatory factor analysis: CFA) and criterion validity were examined, and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation: ICC) evaluated. The short-form version of the J-DRSP was developed using classical test theory. Results: In total, 304 women participated and 243 recorded symptoms on at least 4 days spanning the week of the luteal phase (CD - 6 to CD 0) and 4 days spanning the week of the follicular phase (CD 4 to CD 10), with CD 0 set as the day before menstruation started. The EFA revealed a two-factor structure. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin was 0.992, and Bartlett's test of sphericity chi-square was 3653.89 (P < 0.001). However, the model fitness of CFA was found to be suboptimal (comparative fit index (CFI): 0.83, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA): 0.12). Total scores for J-DRSP and the sum scores for each subscale were higher on CD 0 than on CD 10 (p < 0.001), suggesting validity for some criteria. ICC values for the total J-DRSP score from CD 0 to CD - 1, and between CD 9 to CD 10, were 0.60 (95% CI: 0.48-0.72) and 0.76 (95% CI: 0.69-0.82), respectively. Having eliminated some original items after considering factor loading for each item, we developed an 8-item Short-Form J-DRSP (J-DRSP (SF)) comprising 2 factors (S-Psychological and S-Physical, 4 items for each). CFA showed a better model fit (CFI: 0.99, RMSEA: 0.048), and ICC values in the luteal and follicular phases were 0.61 (95%CI: 0.51-0.68) and 0.70 (95%CI: 0.62-0.77), respectively. Conclusion: The J-DRSP has moderate to good reliability and a certain level of validity. The 8-item J-DRSP (SF) has a two-factor structure and can be used effectively among Japanese women to assess their PMS symptoms. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Apps and digital interventions](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-digital-health/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Systematic review, 2025 Does digital healthcare help manage period pain and PMS? Case-control study, 2024 Are stomach symptoms worse before your period and linked to mood? Randomised trial, 2019 Does online cognitive behavioral therapy help women with PMDD? Randomised trial, 2026 Does a smartphone app with symptom tracking and emails help reduce emotional distress from PMS? Survey study, 2026 Do young women with PMS search online for health information more and develop health anxiety from it? Systematic review, 2026 Do digital tools and apps help reduce PMS and PMDD symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗