Validation of psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Female Sexual Function Index

To examine the psychometric properties of a Persian language version of the Female Sexual Function Index (P-FSFI) amongst a sample of healthy Iranian women.

All participants (562) completed a battery of questionnaires, including the P-FSFI, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS), Positive and Negative Affect Scales (PANAS), and Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Test (LWMAT). The dimensions of the P-FSFI and its convergent and divergent validity were examined, using principal component analysis and Pearson correlations, respectively. To examine the predictive validity of the P-FSFI, data collected from 562 healthy participants were compared with 108 women with sexual problems who completed the P-FSFI measure. The P-FSFI reliability was determined in two ways: calculating Cronbach alpha and measuring test-retest coefficients (with a 4-week interval).

The results indicated that the P-FSFI is conceptualized within a-four factor model. These factors were named as: Sexual Response, Sexual Desire, Sexual-related Pain, and Sexual Satisfaction. Results also indicated that the P-FSFI and its 4 subscales had good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Significant correlations in the predicted directions between the scores of the P-FSFI and its 4 subscales with the scores of DASS, PANAS, and LWMAT supported both the convergent and divergent validity for the P-FSFI. The results also indicated that the scores of the P-FSFI and its 4 subscales significantly differentiated women with and without sexual problems.

In general, these findings support the reliability and the validity of the P-FSFI amongst Iranian healthy females.