Development and validation of a five-factor sexual satisfaction and distress scale for women: the Sexual Satisfaction Scale for Women (SSS-W).
BACKGROUND
This article presents data based on the responses of over 800 women who contributed to the development of the Sexual Satisfaction Scale for Women (SSS-W).


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to develop a comprehensive, multifaceted, valid, and reliable self-report measure of women's sexual satisfaction and distress.


METHODS
Phase I involved the initial selection of items based on past literature and on interviews of women diagnosed with sexual dysfunction and an exploratory factor analysis. Phase II involved an additional administration of the questionnaire, factor analyses, and refinement of the questionnaire items. Phase III involved administration of the final questionnaire to a sample of women with clinically diagnosed sexual dysfunction and controls.


RESULTS
Psychometric evaluation of the SSS-W conducted in a sample of women meeting DSM-IV-TR criteria for female sexual dysfunction and in a control sample provided preliminary evidence of reliability and validity. The ability of the SSS-W to discriminate between sexually functional and dysfunctional women was demonstrated for each of the SSS-W domain scores and total score.


CONCLUSIONS
The SSS-W is a brief, 30-item measure of sexual satisfaction and sexual distress, composed of five domains supported by factor analyses: contentment, communication, compatibility, relational concern, and personal concern. It exhibits sound psychometric properties and has a demonstrated ability to discriminate between clinical and nonclinical samples.
Meston
Cindy
C
Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, USA. meston@psy.utexas.edu
Trapnell
Paul
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011581:Psychological Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis*; D019529:Sexuality