Factor Structure, Reliability, and Validity of the Japanese Version of the Specific Phobia of Vomiting Inventory

Abstract

This study aimed to create the Japanese version of the Specific Phobia of Vomiting Inventory (SPOVI-J), which measures threat monitoring and avoidance behaviors characteristic of emetophobia. The SPOVI-J’s factor structure, reliability, and validity were also examined. This study included 222 undergraduate and graduate students, and the retest reliability process included 26 undergraduate students. An exploratory factor analysis yielded a two-factor structure for the SPOVI-J. The SPOVI-J and each of its subscales were confirmed to have high internal consistency and a certain retest reliability. Regarding the correlation of the SPOVI-J and its two subscales with other concepts, the findings for disgust sensitivity differed from those in previous studies; for anxiety about vomiting, findings were weaker than expected; for obsessive-compulsive symptoms, depression, and generalized anxiety symptoms, findings were generally concordant with those in previous studies, indicating a certain convergent validity. This study also indicated that 21.2% of university students in the sample exceeded the cutoff of the original version.