Validation and translation of the Hungarian version of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI-H)

Introduction and hypothesis The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) has been used for clinical and research purposes in many countries. The aim of this study was to translate, adapt and perform a psychometric validation of a Hungarian version of the FSFI. Methods The FSFI was translated into Hungarian, and its precision was ascertained through reverse translation by an expert team. As a first step, 40 volunteers participated in an evaluation of the test-retest reliability of the Hungarian version over a 2-week period. After that, 418 (331 control and 87 with pelvic organ prolapse) women who had been in a stable sexual relationship in the previous 4 weeks participated in the study. The data were summarized using descriptive statistics. The structure validity was examined by confirmatory factor analysis, with which we tested the hypothesized original factor structure, using maximum likelihood model estimation. We calculated the Comparative Fit Index (CFI), root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), standardized root mean residual and Akaike information criterion (AIC). To test the internal consistency, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of the full scale were determined. Spearman’s rank correlation was used for testing divergent validity and Mann-Whitney U-test for examining discriminant validity. Results The FSFI was easily understandable and acceptable as well as capable of adequately evaluating and measuring various aspects of female sexual functioning. A high degree of internal consistency was demonstrated by the Cronbach’s alpha value (0.963). Conclusion The FSFI Hungarian version is a valid tool that measures the same functioning as the original English questionnaire.