Abstract

Introduction. Female sexual dysfunction has a known impact on the quality of life. Aim. The purpose of this study was the translation and validation of an Iranian version of the Sexual Quality of Life questionnaire-Female (SQOL-F) in Iranian women. Methods. A population sample of N=2,675 women aged 1767 years from Qazvin City of Iran and two clinical population samples (women with sexual dysfunctions N=295 and women with type 2 diabetes N=449) participated in the study. A self-constructed demographic questionnaire, the SQOL-F, the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) were used for data collection. Main Outcome Measures. Internal consistency and testretest reliability were examined. Correlations between the SQOL-F, SF-36, and FSFI were assessed with convergent validity. Furthermore, known-groups comparison analysis was conducted to compare differences in SQOL-F scores between healthy women and those with sexual problems and diabetes. Confirmatory factor analysis assessed the factor structure of the SQOL-F. Results. Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.84 to 0.98. Significant correlations between the SQOL-F, SF-36, and FSFI scores were found (ranging from r=0.4 to r=0.72). The SQOL-F scores were significantly different between women with and without a clinical condition (P<0.05). A unifactorial model provided the best fit to the data. Conclusion. The questionnaire represents a suitable measure to assess sexuality-related quality of life to sexual function in healthy women, as well as in women suffering from a chronic medical condition. Application of the scale to other clinical samples needs to be further explored. Pakpour AH, Zeidi IM, Saffari M, and Burri A. Psychometric properties of the Iranian version of the sexual quality of life scale among women. J Sex Med 2013; 10: 981-989.