Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of Sexual Function After Gynecologic Illness Scale (SFAGIS).

PURPOSE

This study aims to develop the Chinese version of the Sexual Function after Gynecologic Illness Scale (SFAGIS) and to establish its psychometric properties in Hong Kong Chinese patients with gynecological cancer.

METHODS

A Chinese version of SFAGIS was developed using the Brislin model of translation and guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation of scales. The content validity and semantic equivalence were assessed by an expert panel. The translated version of SFAGIS was administered to 150 Hong Kong Chinese women with gynecological cancer to test the scale's psychometric properties and to assess its feasibility. The convergent validity of the Chinese scale was tested by correlating it with the Chinese version of the sex relations subscale of the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale Self-Report (PAIS-SR).

RESULTS

The average completion time for the Chinese SFAGIS was 16.2 ± 6.6 min. The internal consistency of the Chinese SFAGIS was 0.93. Test-retest reliability was also high with an interclass correlation coefficient 0.76. A Pearson product-moment correlation found strong correlations among the Chinese SFAGIS and the Chinese version of the sex relations subscale of the PAIS-SR, indicating that both scales measure the same as or has a similar construct.

CONCLUSIONS

The Chinese version of SFAGIS is a reliable and valid instrument which can be used in clinical practice and research for assessing sexual function problems in Chinese patients with gynecological cancer and to identify those in need of attention.