The Fertility Belief Questionnaire: A Reliability and Validity Study Among a South African Sample

Background and Purpose: Fertility beliefs shape decisions regarding family planning, reproductive health, and gender roles. However, there are limited psychometric tools measuring fertility beliefs in Africa. Thus, this study sought to assess the psychometric properties of the Fertility Belief Questionnaire (FBQ). Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, participants were recruited at two fertility clinics. We conducted reliability and factor analyses (confirmatory factor analysis [CFA] and exploratory factor analysis [EFA]) to establish the psychometric robustness of the FBQ in a South African sample. Results: The CFA indicated that the original five-factor structure of the FBQ was a poor fit for the current data (χ²[395] = 950.482; p = .000). EFA indicated an alternate 23-item FBQ consisting of five subscales, namely, consequences, hope for recovery, illness coherence, personal control, and impact. The composite scale demonstrated an acceptable reliability (α = .77). Conclusions: The resulting FBQ was diverted from the original 30-item FBQ. Further research should examine its test-retest reliability and convergent validity.