Background: Sexual satisfaction is a complex and multidimensional concept. It encompasses physical, emotional, relational and cultural dimensions, and constitutes an essential component of sexual health, as well as an indicator of quality of life and wellbeing. The Sexual Satisfaction Scale for Women (SSS-W) was designed in the United States, and it is a valid and reliable tool to measure women's sexual satisfaction.
Aim: The aim of this study was to culturally adapt and translate the SSS-W into Spanish and analyze its psychometric properties.
Methods: First, the original instrument was culturally adapted and translated from English to Spanish. Then, we tested the psychometric properties of the instrument in its Spanish version in a sample of 316 women who attended a family planning clinic in Logroño, Spain. Internal consistency reliability of the whole scale and each subscale separately was measured using Cronbach's alpha. Factorial validity of the SSS-W in its Spanish version was analyzed using exploratory factor analysis through the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sample adequacy and Bartlett's Sphericity test.
Results: The Cronbach's alpha coefficients of the total scale and each subscale were satisfactory (>0.7). Exploratory factor analysis confirmed the five hypothetical dimensions of the scale in its Spanish version. The five dimensions (contentment, communication, compatibility, relational concern, and personal concern) explained 60% of the total variance of the scale; factor analysis using varimax rotation revealed strong loads in each of the five components.
Conclusions: The SSS-W in its Spanish version is a valid and reliable tool to assess sexual satisfaction in Spanish women of reproductive age and, therefore, can be used both in clinical practice and for the investigation of sexual health.
Keywords: female sexual dysfunction; sexual behavior; sexual satisfaction; women’s sexual health.