Sexual quality of life during the postpartum period

Development of a sexual quality of life scale for the postpartum period and assessment of its psychometric properties

At a glance

Project leader : Dr. Susanne Grylka
Co-project leader : Dr. Azam Rahmani
Project status : completed
Funding partner : EU and other international programmes (Leading House Indischer Subkontinent und Iran)
Project partner : Tehran University of Medical Sciences
Contact person : Susanne Grylka

Description

Sexual life is an important part of woman’s health. Childbirth is a stressful event, which can affect female sexual quality of life. Sexual dysfunction is prevalent in the postpartum period and might have adverse consequences on health and wellbeing but also burden the relationship. The sexuality after having given birth is a little researched field. We therefore plan to explore the most important factors related to sexual quality of life of primiparous women during the postpartum period in Iran and in Switzerland. Additionally, we will develop the Iranian version of a scale for measuring postpartum sexual quality of life and assess its psychometric properties.

An exploratory mixed method study will be conducted in two phases. Qualitative data will be collected using focus group discussions and individual interviews and analysed with conventional content analysis. Additionally, we will review the literature for enhancing our data. Afterwards, we will generate an initial item pool and design the first draft of the Iranian version of the scale. The preliminary instrument will be applied to 200-300 primiparous women in Tehran. Reliability (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and test-retest) and validity (face, content, and construct validity) of the scale will be assessed.

In follow-up studies, the validated Sexual Quality of Life Scale will be translated and culturally adapted into German. Furthermore, the results of this study will be used in the future to assess women’s sexual quality of life and to design appropriate interventions and solutions to improve female sexual life after childbirth in Iran and in Switzerland.

Further information

Hebammen der ZHAW forschen mit Hebammen in Teheran

Publications

Rahmani, Azam; Grylka-Baeschlin, Susanne; Fallahi, Arezoo; Allahqoli, Leila; Gheshlagh, Reza Ghanei; Abboud, Sarah; Rezaei, Elham,

2022.

Postpartum sexual quality of life : scale development and psychometric properties assessment in Iran.

Sexuality and Disability.

40(1), pp. 115-127.

Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-021-09716-w
Grylka, Susanne; Fallahi, Arezoo; Rahmani, Azam,

2021.

Postpartum sexual quality of life in Iranian and Swiss women [paper].

In:

32nd ICM Virtual Triennial Congress, online, 30 June 2021.
Rahmani, Azam; Fallahi, Arezoo; Allahqoli, Leila; Grylka, Susanne,

2021.

Postpartum sexual quality of life in two cultures : a qualitative study.

Intersections : Gender and Sexuality in Asia and the Pacific.

2021(45).

Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-22012
Grylka, Susanne; Rahmani, Azam,

2020.

Sexualleben verändert sich nach der Geburt des ersten Kindes.

Obstetrica.

2020(10), pp. 28-31.

Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-20577
Grylka, Susanne; Fallahi, Arezoo; Rahmani, Azam,

2019.

Development of a sexual quality of life scale for the postpartum period and assessment of its psychometric properties.

Winterthur:

ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften.

Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-19050

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