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Multicenter Study
. 2011 Aug;26(8):2084-91.
doi: 10.1093/humrep/der171. Epub 2011 Jun 10.

The fertility quality of life (FertiQoL) tool: development and general psychometric properties

Jacky Boivin  1 , Janet Takefman, Andrea Braverman
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

The fertility quality of life (FertiQoL) tool: development and general psychometric properties

Jacky Boivin et al. Hum Reprod. 2011 Aug.

Abstract

Background: To develop the first international instrument to measure fertility quality of life (FertiQoL) in men and women experiencing fertility problems, to evaluate the preliminary psychometric properties of this new tool and to translate FertiQoL into multiple languages.

Method: We conducted a survey, both online and in fertility clinics in USA, Australia/New Zealand, Canada and UK. A total of 1414 people with fertility problems participated. The main outcome measure was the FertiQoL tool.

Results: FertiQoL consists of 36 items that assess core (24 items) and treatment-related quality of life (QoL) (10 items) and overall life and physical health (2 items). Cronbach reliability statistics for the Core and Treatment FertiQoL (and subscales) were satisfactory and in the range of 0.72 and 0.92. Sensitivity analyses showed that FertiQoL detected expected relations between QoL and gender, parity and support-seeking. FertiQoL was translated into 20 languages by the same translation team with each translation verified by local bilingual fertility experts.

Conclusions: FertiQoL is a reliable measure of the impact of fertility problems and its treatment on QoL. Future research should establish its use in cross-cultural research and clinical work.

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References

    1. Aarts JWM, van Empel IW, Boivin J, Kremer JAM, Verhaak CM. Quality of life measure as an extra tool for delivering patient-centred care. Annual Meeting of the European Society for Human Reproduction & Embryology; Rome. 2010.
    1. Aarts JWM, van Empel IWH, Boivin J, Nelen WK, Kremer JAM, Verhaak CM. Relationship between quality of life and distress in infertility: a validation study of the Dutch FertiQoL. Human Reprod. 2011;26:1112–1118. - PubMed
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