CONSTRUCTION OF SCALES FOR THE CENTER FOR MARITAL AND SEXUAL HEALTH (CMASH) SEXUAL FUNCTIONING QUESTIONNAIRE

The objective of this study was to identify a set of scales for summar izing the results of the Center for Marital and Sexual Health Sexual F unctioning Questionnaire (CMASH SFQ). Scales for this instrument were constructed using patients: responses to the CMASH SFQ in a recent cli nical trial of prostaglandin E-1 (PGE(1), alpostadil), an injectable v asodilator used to treat erectile dysfunction. A set of items was iden tified as a scale if they met predetermined standards of internal cons istency, discriminant validity, and convergent validity. Tile reproduc ibility of the scales was then evaluated, and the extent to which the scales reliably measured change in treatment-related quality of life w as assessed. Reliable and responsive scales for four domains related t o sexual functioning were identified, Items in these scales were gener ally internally consistent; items in the scales and the scores for the scales generally satisfied criteria of discriminant validity; and the scales genarally satisfied the standard for convergent validity. Eval uating patients' responses to the CMASH SFQ with scores for four relia ble and responsive scales allows easier summarization of patients' sex ual functioning and increases the statistical power of evaluations of tile effects of interventions designed to improve sexual functioning.