title: Validation of the partner version of the multidimensional vaginal penetration disorder questionnaire: A tool for clinical assessment of lifelong vaginismus in a sample of Iranian population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The role of spousal response in woman's experience of pain during the vaginal penetration attempts believed to be an important factor; however, studies are rather limited in this area. The aim of this study was to develop and investigate the psychometric indexes of the partner version of a multidimensional vaginal penetration disorder questionnaire (PV-MVPDQ); hence, the clinical assessment of spousal psychosexual reactions to vaginismus by specialists will be easier.
  
  
  METHODS
  A mixed-methods sequential exploratory design was used, through that, the findings from a thematic qualitative research with 20 unconsummated couples, which followed by an extensive literature review used for development of PV-MVPDQ. A consecutive sample of 214 men who their wives' suffered from lifelong vaginismus (LLV) based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4(th) version (DSM)-IVTR criteria during a cross-sectional design, completed the questionnaire and additional questions regarding their demographic and sexual history. Validation measures and reliability were conducted by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and Cronbach's alpha coefficient through SPSS version 16 manufactured by SPSS Inc. (IBM corporation, Armonk, USA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  After conducting EFA PV-MVPDQ emerged as having 40 items and 7 dimensions: Helplessness, sexual information, vicious cycle of penetration, hypervigilance and solicitous, catastrophic cognitions, sexual and marital adjustment and optimism. Subscales of PV-MVPDQ showed a significant reliability (0.71-0.85) and results of test-retest were satisfactory.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study shows PV-MVPDQ is a multi-dimensional valid and reliable self-report questionnaire for assessment of cognitions, sexual and marital relations related to vaginal penetrations in spouses of women with LLV. It may assist specialists to base on which clinical judgment and appropriate planning for clinical management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Mitra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Molaeinezhad
authors.affiliation: Family and Sexual Health Unit in the Brain and Spinal Injury Research Center, Iranian National Center of Addiction Studies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Effat Merghati
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Khoei
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehrdad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salehi
authors.affiliation: Medical Education Research Centre, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yousfy
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Patient Safety, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Robab Latifnejad
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Roudsari
keywords: Clinical assessment; cognitions; pain; reliability; self-report measure; sexual partner; vaginismus; validation