Female Sexual Function Index Short Version: A MsFLASH Item Response Analysis

Abstract

The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) is a psychometrically sound and popular 19-item self-report measure, but its length may preclude its use in studies with multiple outcome measures, especially when sexual function is not a primary endpoint. Only one attempt has been made to create a shorter scale, resulting in the Italian FSFI-6, later translated into Spanish and Korean without further psychometric analysis. Our study evaluated whether a subset of items on the 19-item English-language FSFI would perform as well as the full-length FSFI in peri- and post-menopausal women. We used baseline data from 898 peri- and post-menopausal women recruited from multiple communities, ages 42–62 years, and enrolled in randomized controlled trials for vasomotor symptom management. Goals were to (1) create a psychometrically sound, shorter version of the FSFI for use in peri- and post-menopausal women as a continuous measure and (2) compare it to the Italian FSFI-6. Results indicated that a 9-item scale provided more information than the FSFI-6 across a spectrum of sexual functioning, was able to capture sample variability, and showed sufficient range without floor or ceiling effects. All but one of the items from the Italian 6-item version were included in the 9-item version. Most omitted FSFI items focused on frequency of events or experiences. When assessment of sexual function is a secondary endpoint and subject burden related to questionnaire length is a priority, the 9-item FSFI may provide important information about sexual function in English-speaking peri- and post-menopausal women.

Self-reported assessment of female sexual function among Brazilian undergraduate healthcare students: a cross-sectional study (survey)

“…As previously established in the literature, 13 women with scores less than or equal to 26.55 were considered to have some sexual dysfunction. 5,8,[10][11][12]14…”

The 6-item Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI-6): factor structure, reliability, and demographic correlates among infertile women in Iran

“…Female sexual dysfunction has been introduced as disorders of sexual functioning, desire, and pain, which is followed by adverse consequences such as negative psychological outcomes [17]. Sexual function is a major element of women's quality of life, which affects several dimensions of peri-and post-menopausal characteristics [18]. Previous studies have shown that on average, 64% of women suffer from desire difficulty, 35% of orgasm difficulty, 31% have complications with arousal conditions, and 26% with sexual pain [19].…”

“…A variety of instruments have been developed to measure female sexual function. Among these instruments, the 19-item Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI-19) is one of the main instruments for assessing female sexual function [18]. The FSFI-19 is a self-reported instrument, consisting of 6 separate domains of female sexual function, namely desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain.…”

“…Despite being frequently used, psychometrically sound, and clinically interpretable, the FSFI-19 may be too long for use in studies with multiple outcome measures, especially when measuring sexual dysfunction is not a primary aim of a study. Because of this reason, recently, Isidori et al developed a shorter version of the scale (i.e., FSFI-6) using receiver operating curves [18,23]. The FSFI-6 is a brief and easy to use measure containing 6 of the original 19 items.…”

“…The FSFI-6 has been validated in Italy, the USA, Brazil, Korea, Portugal, and Ecuador, mainly in the general population [18,[23][24][25][26][27]; however, they have not been validated in infertile women. Hence, this study aims to evaluate the validity and reliability of the FSFI-6 among a sample of women with infertility.…”