Turkish validity and reliability study of the Menopausal Spousal Support Questionnaire.

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Psychometrics
• Sociology

Background:

• Menopause significantly impacts women's lives, often affecting marital dynamics.
• Spousal support is a crucial factor in coping with menopausal challenges.
• Existing instruments may not be culturally adapted for specific populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate and assess the reliability of the Turkish translation of the Menopausal Spousal Support Questionnaire (MSSQ).
• To confirm the psychometric properties of the MSSQ for use with Turkish postmenopausal women.

Main Methods:

• A methodological study involving 176 postmenopausal women.
• Data collection using the Turkish MSSQ and a personal information form.
• Statistical analyses included factor analysis, reliability testing (Cronbach's alpha, test-retest), and item-total correlations.

Main Results:

• Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported the original four-factor structure of the MSSQ.
• Excellent model fit indices were obtained in confirmatory factor analysis.
• High internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.933) and strong item-total correlations (>0.40) were observed.

Conclusions:

• The Turkish version of the MSSQ demonstrates strong validity and reliability.
• The instrument is appropriate for measuring spousal support among postmenopausal women in Turkey.
• This validated tool can aid in understanding and addressing the needs of this population.