A questionnaire for the assessment of the multiple dimensions of motion sickness.

BACKGROUND

A limited number of attempts have been made to develop a questionnaire that assesses the experience of motion sickness. Further, many available questionnaires quantify motion sickness as a unidimensional construct.

METHOD: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of motion sickness descriptors were used to derive and verify four dimensions of motion sickness, which were defined as gastrointestinal, central, peripheral, and sopite-related. These dimensions of motion sickness were then used to construct a motion sickness assessment questionnaire (MSAQ) that was administered to individuals who were exposed to a rotating optokinetic drum.

RESULTS

Total scores from the MSAQ correlated strongly with overall scores from the Pensacola Diagnostic Index (r = 0.81, p < 0.001) and the Nausea Profile (r = 0.92, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The MSAQ is a valid instrument for the assessment of motion sickness. In addition, the MSAQ may be used to assess motion sickness as a multidimensional rather than unidimensional construct.