Development, validity and reliability of the Sexuality Satisfaction Index in Patients with lnflammatory Bowel Disease (SEXSI-BD)

Abstract

The present study aimed to develop and analyze the reliability and validity indicators of the Sexuality Satisfaction lndex in patients with lnflammatory Bowel Disease(SEXSI－IBD). The SEXSI-IBD was developed according to the definition of sexuality that refers to personal sexual characteristics and interactions with a sexual partner. We extracted questionnaire items from the elements used to establish this definition and specific phenomena. A postal survey was conducted with the cooperation of patients with IBD. SEXSI-IBD comprises five factors:daily interaction, sexual communication, sexual difficulty, sexual concern, and physical contact importance. The reliability of the SEXSI-IBD was confirmed with high reproducibility (intraclass correlation coefficient of test-retest=0.95) and high internal consistency(Cronbach's α=0.94). Its validity was also demonstrated with reasonable correlation with the Marital Satisfaction Scale (r=0.68). The SEXSI-IBD could be suitable for use in identifying factors that interfere with sexual satisfaction in patients with IBD, as well as in determining the effects of counseling. However, the study is limited by the absence of items specific to patients with IBD, and because the same cohort used to develop the survey was also used to evaluate its reliability and validity.