Adaptation and validation of the Chinese version of the New Sexual Satisfaction Scale-Short Form in a sample of Chinese women

Abstract

Background: Existing research on sexual satisfaction has been carried out primarily in Western samples, lacking insights from less sexually permissive cultures such as China, particularly in the case of heterosexual and sexual minority women.

Aim: This study aimed to culturally adapt and validate the New Sexual Satisfaction Scale-Short Form (NSSS-S) in a sample of Chinese women with diverse sexual identities.

Methods: The standard forward-backward translation procedure and cognitive debriefing were conducted to translate the NSSS-S into Mandarin Chinese (NSSS-SC). The psychometric properties of the NSSS-SC were assessed in this cross-sectional survey.

Outcomes: The primary outcome measure was the NSSS-S. The World Health Organization Quality of Life-Abbreviated Form, the Positive Sexuality Scale, the Female Sexual Function Index, and a single-item measure of sexual satisfaction were used to test the measure's validity.

Results: A total of 336 Chinese women were recruited, with an average age of 26.82 years (SD, 6.03; range, 18-56). The 1-dimensional model had a good fit to the data and was invariant across 2 sexual identity groups (cisgender heterosexual and sexual minority women) and age. The NSSS-SC had good reliability; no significant floor and ceiling effects were observed. We found moderate to strong correlations between the NSSS-SC scores and the sexual satisfaction, sexual function, positive sexuality, and quality-of-life indicators. On average, cisgender heterosexual women were characterized by higher sexual satisfaction scores when compared with sexual minority women.

Clinical translation: The NSSS-SC can be used as a reliable and culturally appropriate measure of sexual satisfaction in women of different ages and sexual identities, which could be used in future sex-related surveys.

Strengths and limitations: This study is the first to translate the NSSS-S into Chinese and validate the NSSS-SC in a sample of Chinese women with varied sexual identities. However, this study recruited only female participants; future studies should also validate the NSSS-SC in Chinese men.

Conclusion: The NSSS-SC is linguistically equivalent to the original scale and has solid psychometric properties, which can be used to assess sexual satisfaction levels in diverse samples of Chinese women.

Keywords: cross-cultural adaptation; female sexual health; sexual satisfaction; validation.