HPV and Health-related Quality of Life Scale: Turkish validity and reliability study

This study aims to adapt the HPV and Health-Related Quality of Life Scale (HPV-RQOLS) into Turkish and evaluate its reliability and validity.

This methodological study employed a cross-sectional design and convenience sampling. A total of 150 women diagnosed with HPV who presented to a training and research hospital in Turkey between January and December 2023 were included. The inclusion criteria were age between 18 and 60 years, proficiency in Turkish, a confirmed HPV-positive diagnosis, and voluntary participation in the study. Data were collected using the Participant Diagnosis Form and the HPV and Health-Related Quality of Life Scale (HPV-QoL) and SF-12 Quality of Life Scale. Analyses included content and construct validity through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), internal consistency, concurrent and convergent validity.

The Confirmatory Factor Analysis conducted in this study demonstrated that the four-factor model of the original scale did not show an adequate fit to the data. In contrast, the three-factor structure of the Turkish version exhibited acceptable fit indices (χ²/df = 2.219, RMSEA = 0.080, GFI = 0.884, AGFI = 0.821, CFI = 0.957). The Turkish HPV-QoL scale was found to comprise three factors-general well-being, health, and sexuality-and this structure explained a statistically significant proportion of the variance (p < 0.01). The contagiousness dimension present in the original scale was removed in the Turkish adaptation based on insufficient factor loadings (< 0.40) and recommendations from the expert panel. Acceptable model fit and high internal consistency were confirmed (total α = 0.938; subscales: 0.807-0.881). The total Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the scale was 0.938, indicating high reliability. Test-retest analyses demonstrated the scale's stability over time (p < 0.05). Furthermore, correlation analysis with the SF-12 Quality of Life Scale revealed a moderate, positive, and statistically significant association (p < 0.05).

The Turkish HPV-QoL scale is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing health-related quality of life in individuals diagnosed with HPV. Its use in clinical practice and research settings may contribute to a better understanding of the psychosocial and physical impacts of HPV on individuals and support the planning of targeted interventions.