Psychometric Properties of the Sexual Problems Self-Assessment Questionnaire

Accurate identification of the extent of sexual problems in couples using precise, valid, practical measurement tools can pave the way for a thorough evaluation and effective treatment planning. With this objective, the present study was conducted to investigate the psychometric aspects, validity, and reliability of the self-assessment questionnaire for sexual problems in Iranian society.

This study was conducted in the field of psychometrics and was descriptive. The study sample consisted of 385 couples from Qom province who were available for participation. The Persian version of the sexual problems self-assessment questionnaire was adapted and administered, along with the sexual satisfaction questionnaires (ISS) and the depression, anxiety, and stress questionnaire, following the stages of translation and re-translation. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis methods were employed to assess construct validity. Content validity was evaluated using the CVI and CVR indexes. Convergent validity was examined by calculating the Pearson correlation between the scores of this questionnaire and the scores of the sexual satisfaction questionnaire, while divergent validity was assessed by calculating the Pearson correlation coefficient between the scores of this questionnaire and the scores of the depression, anxiety, and stress questionnaire. Reliability was measured using the binomial method and Cronbach's alpha calculation. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 24 and Laserl version 8.8 software. A significance level of 0.05 was applied.

Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the self-assessment questionnaire on sexual problems is a multidimensional scale and explains a high number of variables in the questionnaire. The confirmatory factor analysis of the 5-factor model of the questionnaire was validated and exhibited good fit indices (RMSEA=0.08). In this study, all content validity indicators were at an acceptable level (above 0.80). Convergent validity ranged from 0.50 to 0.79, and divergent validity ranged from -0.40 to -0.62 (p<0.05). The questionnaire's Cronbach's alpha was 0.93, and the correlation coefficient between the two halves of the test was 0.77 (p < 0.05).

The results indicate the validity and reliability of the self-assessment questionnaire for sexual problems in married Iranian men and women. Due to its reliability and validity, this questionnaire can be utilized in research and clinical settings and has been the focus of numerous studies in the field of family psychology for identifying sexual problems.