Development and validation of a sexual functioning measure for use in diverse women's health outcome studies

The objective of the study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Sexual Health Outcomes in Women Questionnaire (SHOW-Q).

SHOW-Q was developed to assess the impact of pelvic problems on sexual desire, frequency, satisfaction, orgasm, and discomfort. A total of 1833 English- or Spanish-speaking women enrolled in 5 studies across the United States completed relevant items at baseline and, for 4 studies, periodically thereafter. Participants also completed measures of pelvic symptomatology and health-related quality-of-life including mental and physical component scales (MCS, PCS).

Factor analysis revealed a 12-item scale with high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.86) and 4 reliable subscales (alpha = 0.73 to 0.84). Among sexually active women, SHOW-Q scores showed statistically significant correlations (P < .001) with MCS (0.267), PCS (0.378), body image (.360), and symptom resolution (.237). The SHOW-Q subscales were also correlated with these other measures at baseline and over time.

SHOW-Q is a reliable, valid, and sensitive measure of sexual functioning for use in diverse women's health outcome studies.