Assessing infertility stress: re-examining the factor structure of the Fertility Problem Inventory

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Psychological Assessment
• Infertility Research

Background:

• Infertility presents significant life challenges, obstructing the goal of parenthood.
• The Fertility Problem Inventory (FPI) assesses infertility stress across social, marital, and sexual dimensions.
• Parenthood's importance is a key factor in infertile patients' lives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the factor structure of the Fertility Problem Inventory (FPI).
• To test two alternative models of the FPI using confirmatory factor analysis.
• To validate the FPI's utility in assessing infertility stress.

Main Methods:

• Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test FPI models.
• A sample of 209 infertile patients participated.
• The Brief Symptom Inventory and ENRICH Marital Inventory were used for construct validity.

Main Results:

• The original FPI measurement model was confirmed.
• An intermediate conceptual level improved model fit, identifying two domains: impact on life and importance of parenthood.
• The FPI demonstrated measurement invariance, structure invariance, and construct validity.

Conclusions:

• The refined FPI approach enhances research and clinical practice.
• Distinguishing between infertility's impact and parenthood importance extends FPI utility.
• The FPI is a valuable tool for understanding and addressing infertility-related stress.