Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of the Sexual Self-Esteem Index for Woman-Short Form

The aim of the present study was to determine the reliability and validity of the Persian version of Sexual Self-Esteem Index for Woman-Short Form (SSEI-W-SF). Through convenient sampling method, 510 married women from public places in Mashhad, Iran were selected and investigated using Persian version of SSEI-W-SF, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21-item (DASS-21), Revised Moosher Guilt Inventory (RMGI), Revised Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (RCSEI), and Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Factor structure of the index was investigated using principal component method, and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the Persian version of SSEI-W-SF, and Pearson’s correlation coefficients between scores of the mentioned instruments were calculated. Internal consistency of items for all the sample was 0.88. The correlation coefficients between each items of the scale and the total scale score varied from 0.54 to 0.72 (in all cases: p<0.001). Through exploratory factor analysis, five factors of experience and skill, control, attractiveness, moral judgment and adaptiveness were determined which account for 50.37 percent of total variance. The test-retest reliability coefficient for the whole scale was 0.91 and for its five subscales ranged from 0.82 to 0.94. There were also significant correlations between SSEI-W-SF and RCSEI (r=0.31, p<0.05) and FSFI (r=0.31, p<0.05) that shows convergent validity of the scale. Divergent validity of the sale was confirmed by observing negative correlation between Depression subscale of DASS-21 and SSEI-W-SF (r=-0.29, p<0.05). Considering the satisfactory reliability and validity, SSEI-W-SF can be utilized in clinical and research practices.