Journal of Reproduction & Infertility

Journal of Reproduction & Infertility

Developing “Quality of Life in Infertile Couples Questionnaire” and Measuring its Psychometric Properties

Authors
Farideh Yaghmaei 1
Shamaneh Mohammadi 2
Hamid Alavimajd 3
1 Department of Public Health, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Internal Medicine and Surgery, Nasibeh Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Mazandaran, Iran
3 Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Paramedical, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: Numerous studies point to the increasing prevalence of infertility around the world. This entity has usually taken its toll on infertile couples and has left them prone to psychosocial problems. Measuring quality of life of infertile couples can help health policy makers provide services tailored to the needs of this group of people. The purpose of this study was to develop a questionnaire to measure the quality of life of infertile couples and test its validity and reliability.Materials and Methods: In this exploratory study, we defined and determined the dimensions of quality of life in infertile couples by reviewing the literature and interviewing infertile couples. Finally, Quality of Life in Infertile Couples Questionnaire (QOLICQ) with 95 Likert-type items was developed.Results: In analyzing the content validity index, items with more than 79% validity were kept and the number of items was reduced to 79 in the questionnaire. Factor analysis showed seven factors in the questionnaire. An internal consistency of 0.71- 0.95 and a test-retest reliability of 0.81 - 0.04 were calculated for the seven factors. Therefore, the seven previously mentioned factors were omitted because of decreased value in factor analysis and redundancy, leaving 72 items in the questionnaire. Content validity index (CVI) of the questionnaire was measured by a panel of 10 experts and 10 infertile couples based on its "relevance", "clarity" and "simplicity" on a four-point scale. Then, construct validity (factor analysis) was measured by 150 infertile subjects. To determine reliability, internal consistency and test-retest reliability were measured. Conclusion: The Quality of Life in Infertile Couples Questionnaire (QOLICQ), which includes 72 Likert-type items, is a valid and reliable tool for measuring quality of life of infertile couples. Measuring other types of validity, such as discriminate and concurrent validity are recommended.
Keywords
Infertility
Psychometric analysis
Quality of Life
Questionnaire
Macduff C. Respondent-generated quality of life meas-ures: useful tools for nursing or more fool`s gold? J Adv Nurs. 2000;32(2):375-82. Review.
Khayata GM, Rizk DE, Hasan MY, Ghazal-Aswad S, Asaad MA. Factors influencing the quality of life of infertile women in United Arab Emirates. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2003;80(2):183-8.
Monga M, Alexandrescu B, Katz SE, Stein M, Ganiats T. Impact of infertility on quality of life, marital adjust-ment and sexual function. Urology. 2004;63(1):126-30.
Ramezanzadeh F, Aghssa MM, Abedinia N, Zayeri F, Khanafshar N, Shariat M, et al. A survey of relation-ship between anxiety, depression and duration of infer-tility. BMC Womens Health. 2004;4(1):9.
Spiroff L, Fritz MA. Clinical gynecology endocrine-ology and infertility. 17th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2005. 12 p.
Berek JS, Novak E. Berek & Novak`s gynecology. 14th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2006. 506 p.
Rebarsolzekey H. [Infertility and treatment]. 1st ed. Karimzadeh Maybodi K, Translator. Yazd: Yazad publisher; 1996. 28 p. Persian.
Cwikel J, Gidron Y, Sheiner E. Psychological inter-actions with infertility among women. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2004;117(2):126-31. Review.
Schneider Z, Elliot D, LoBiondo-Wood G, Beanland C, Haber J. Nursing research: methods, critical appraisal and utilization. 2nd ed. Sydney: Mosby-Elsevier; 2004. 487 p.
Diamond R, Kezur D, Meyers M, Scharf CN, Wein-shel M. Couple therapy for infertility. New York: Gilford Press; 1999. 34 p.
Mohammadi MR, Khalaj Abadi Farahani F. [Emo-tional and psychological problems of infertility and strategies to overcome them]. J Reprod Infertil. 2001;2 (4):33-9. Persian.
Wischmann T, Stammer H, Scherg H, Gerhard I, Ver-res R. Psychosocial characteristics of infertile couples: a study by the Heidelberg Fertility Consultation Service. Hum Reprod. 2001;16(8):1753-61.
Mazaheri MA, Kayghobadi F, Faghihi Imani Z, Gha-shang N, Pato M. [Problem solving strategies and marital adjustment in infertile and fertile couples]. J Reprod Infertil. 2001;2(4):22-32. Persian.
Lowedermilk D, Perry S. Maternity and women`s health care. 8th ed. United States: Mosby; 2004.1274 p.
Pazandeh F, Sharghi N. [Comparing wellbeing of fertile and infertile women referring to health centers at Shaheed Beheshti Universty of Medical Sciences and Health Services and Infertile Centers at Tehran 2002]. Fac Nurs Midwifery Q. 2004;44:4-10. Persian.
Macnee C. Understanding nursing research: reading and using research in practice. 1st ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2003. 190 p.
Strombegy M, Olsen S. Instruments for clinical health care research. 3rd ed. Boston: Jones and Batlett Publisher; 2004. 128 p.
Nejat SN, Montazeri A, Holakhouei Naeini K, Mohammad K, Majdzadeh SR. [The World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) ques-tionnaire: translation and validation study of the Iranian version]. J Sch Public Health Inst Public Health. 2007;4(4):1-12. Persian.
Rashidi B, Montazeri A, Ramezanzadeh F, Shariat M, Abedinia N, Ashrafi M. Health-related quality of life in infertile couples receiving IVF or ICSI treatment. BMC Health Serv Res. 2008;8:186.
Drosdzol A, Skrzypulec V. Quality of life and sexual functioning of Polish infertile couples. Eur J Contra-cept Reprod Health Care. 2008;13(3):271-81.
Yaghmaei F. [Measuring behavior in research by valid and reliable instruments]. 1st ed. Tehran: Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and Health Services; 2007. 58 p. Persian.
Nilforooshan P, Latifi Z, Abedi MR, Ahmadi SA. [Quality of life and its different domains in fertile and infertile women]. J Res Behav Sci. 2006;4(1, 2):70-7. Persian.
Chachamovich JR, Chachamovich E, Zachia S, Knauth D, Passos EP. What variables predict generic and health-related quality of life in a sample of Brazilian women experiencing infertility? Hum Reprod. 2007;22 (7):1946-52.
Ragni G, Mosconi P, Baldini MP, Somigliana E, Vegetti W, Caliari I, et al. Health-related quality of life and need for IVF in 1000 Italian infertile couples. Hum Reprod. 2005;20(5):1286-91.
Lau JT, Wang Q, Cheng Y, Kim JH, Yang X, Tsui HY. Infertility-related perceptions and responses and their associations with quality of life among rural chinese infertile couples. J Sex Marital Ther. 2008;34 (3):248-67.
Journal of Reproduction & Infertility
Volume 10, Issue 2
Summer 2009
Pages 137-143