Developing and Measuring Psychometric Properties of “Quality of Life Questionnaire in Infertile Couples”

Background Infertility can affect the quality of life of infertile couples. The aim of this study was to develop and measure psychometric properties of “Quality of Life in Infertile Couple Questionnaire” (QOLICQ). Methods This study was conducted in two qualitative and quantitative phases. Qualitative method involved semi-structured interviews of a purposive sample of 34 infertile couples. A content analysis of the data produced the dimensions of quality of life in infertile couples. By reviewing the literature and interviewing infertile couples, QOLICQ with 95 Likert-type items was developed. Content validity index (CVI) was measured by a panel of 10 experts and 10 infertile couples based on the “relevance”, “clarity”, and “simplicity” on a four point scale. Then, construct validity was measured by 150 infertile men and women. Internal consistency and test retest was measured. Results In analyzing the content validity index, items with more than 79% validity were kept and the items in the questionnaire were reduced to 79. Factor analysis showed seven factors in the questionnaire. An internal consistency of 0.71-0.95 and a test-retest reliability of 0.81-0.94 were calculated. Conclusion QOLICQ, which includes 72 Likert-type items in 7 dimensions, is a valid and reliable questionnaire for measuring the quality of life of infertile couples. Due to the lack of a valid and reliable instrument for measuring quality of life in infertile couples in Iran, using this questionnaire is suggested. Measuring other types of validity, such as discriminate and concurrent validity, are recommended. Keywords: Infertility; Quality of Life; Validity; Reliability