Evaluating a new scale for infertility psychological distress: psychometric evidence from China
Abstract Background China currently does not have a suitable tool to measure infertility-related psychological distress in a culturally relevant manner. Therefore, this study sought to develop and validate a scale specifically designed for the Chinese context, focusing on the unique cultural and psy...
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2025-07-01
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| Series: | BMC Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02991-8 |
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| author | Lingjun Jiang Liu Yang Juan Yao Juan Yang Meiliyang Wu Mengmei Yuan Ke Zhang Ye Chen Zhenjing Hu Zining Zhu Qian Zhang Meizhen Zhao Tieying Zeng Ningjing Jiang |
| author_facet | Lingjun Jiang Liu Yang Juan Yao Juan Yang Meiliyang Wu Mengmei Yuan Ke Zhang Ye Chen Zhenjing Hu Zining Zhu Qian Zhang Meizhen Zhao Tieying Zeng Ningjing Jiang |
| author_sort | Lingjun Jiang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background China currently does not have a suitable tool to measure infertility-related psychological distress in a culturally relevant manner. Therefore, this study sought to develop and validate a scale specifically designed for the Chinese context, focusing on the unique cultural and psychological experiences of Chinese women undergoing IVF-ET treatment. Methods A mixed-methods approach was used for scale development. The preliminary scale was based on a previous Grounded theory study and existing literature. Content validity was assessed using the Delphi method. Psychometric testing involved 600 women undergoing IVF-ET treatment in Hubei, China. Item analysis, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted for scale refinement and validity assessment. Results The final scale consists of 25 items across 2 dimensions and 6 sub-dimensions: Distress of disrupting the former self (distress of self-worth questioning, distress of strained family relationships, distress of female image deficit) and Distress linked to the struggling present self (distress of inadequate reproductive self-efficiency, distress of maintaining family relationships, distress of social identity expansion). CFA confirmed a good fit for the 6-factor model. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.944 for the total scale, and 0.856 to 0.925 for the dimensions. Content validity was strong (I-CVI = 0.80-1.0, S-CVI = 0.98). The scale showed good criterion-related validity with a significant correlation (r = 0.528, p < 0.001) to the Kessler-6. Conclusion The Infertility Psychological Distress Scale demonstrates strong reliability and validity, accurately capturing the psychological distress experienced by women undergoing assisted reproduction in the Chinese cultural context. Clinical trial number Not applicable. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-07575bfc035a48d281f4ae63b88dfcf1 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2050-7283 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-07575bfc035a48d281f4ae63b88dfcf12025-08-20T04:01:47ZengBMCBMC Psychology2050-72832025-07-0113111110.1186/s40359-025-02991-8Evaluating a new scale for infertility psychological distress: psychometric evidence from ChinaLingjun Jiang0Liu Yang1Juan Yao2Juan Yang3Meiliyang Wu4Mengmei Yuan5Ke Zhang6Ye Chen7Zhenjing Hu8Zining Zhu9Qian Zhang10Meizhen Zhao11Tieying Zeng12Ningjing Jiang13Department of Nursing, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Nursing, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Reproductive Health, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Nursing, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Nursing, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Nursing, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Nursing, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Nursing, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Nursing, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Nursing, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Reproductive Health, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Nursing, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Nursing, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyHuayang (Enshi) Pharmaceutical Co., LtdAbstract Background China currently does not have a suitable tool to measure infertility-related psychological distress in a culturally relevant manner. Therefore, this study sought to develop and validate a scale specifically designed for the Chinese context, focusing on the unique cultural and psychological experiences of Chinese women undergoing IVF-ET treatment. Methods A mixed-methods approach was used for scale development. The preliminary scale was based on a previous Grounded theory study and existing literature. Content validity was assessed using the Delphi method. Psychometric testing involved 600 women undergoing IVF-ET treatment in Hubei, China. Item analysis, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted for scale refinement and validity assessment. Results The final scale consists of 25 items across 2 dimensions and 6 sub-dimensions: Distress of disrupting the former self (distress of self-worth questioning, distress of strained family relationships, distress of female image deficit) and Distress linked to the struggling present self (distress of inadequate reproductive self-efficiency, distress of maintaining family relationships, distress of social identity expansion). CFA confirmed a good fit for the 6-factor model. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.944 for the total scale, and 0.856 to 0.925 for the dimensions. Content validity was strong (I-CVI = 0.80-1.0, S-CVI = 0.98). The scale showed good criterion-related validity with a significant correlation (r = 0.528, p < 0.001) to the Kessler-6. Conclusion The Infertility Psychological Distress Scale demonstrates strong reliability and validity, accurately capturing the psychological distress experienced by women undergoing assisted reproduction in the Chinese cultural context. Clinical trial number Not applicable.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02991-8InfertilityPsychological distressAssisted reproduction treatmentMeasurementScale |
| spellingShingle | Lingjun Jiang Liu Yang Juan Yao Juan Yang Meiliyang Wu Mengmei Yuan Ke Zhang Ye Chen Zhenjing Hu Zining Zhu Qian Zhang Meizhen Zhao Tieying Zeng Ningjing Jiang Evaluating a new scale for infertility psychological distress: psychometric evidence from China BMC Psychology Infertility Psychological distress Assisted reproduction treatment Measurement Scale |
| title | Evaluating a new scale for infertility psychological distress: psychometric evidence from China |
| title_full | Evaluating a new scale for infertility psychological distress: psychometric evidence from China |
| title_fullStr | Evaluating a new scale for infertility psychological distress: psychometric evidence from China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluating a new scale for infertility psychological distress: psychometric evidence from China |
| title_short | Evaluating a new scale for infertility psychological distress: psychometric evidence from China |
| title_sort | evaluating a new scale for infertility psychological distress psychometric evidence from china |
| topic | Infertility Psychological distress Assisted reproduction treatment Measurement Scale |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02991-8 |
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