Psychometric properties of the fertility problem inventory in Spanish infertile patients undergoing assisted reproduction treatments

Abstract

Infertility affects millions of individuals worldwide, significantly impacting mental health and quality of life. Therefore, it is essential to have valid and reliable score interpretations of measurement tools to study the effects of infertility-related stress on people’s lives. This study seeks to undertake the translation and cultural adaptation of the instrument the Fertility Problem Inventory (FPI) into Spanish, assessing its reliability and validity in a sample of 205 heterosexual infertile patients undergoing Assisted Reproductive Treatments (ART). Participants completed an online questionnaire after providing informed consent. Validity evidence based on the internal structure was obtained through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). In addition, validity evidence based on the relation with other variables was explored by correlations between the FPI with anxiety and depression scales. Internal consistency was also explored. The results indicated that the alternative model of the FPI (two second-order factors) provided a better fit than the first one proposed by Newton et al. (1999) (CFI = 0.95, RMSEA = 0.064) and demonstrated adequate reliability (α = 0.891 for global stress). A positive association was found between higher levels of infertility-related stress and symptoms of anxiety and depression, particularly concerning the impact of infertility on daily life. This study provides validity evidence of the FPI Spanish version for its use with infertile patients undergoing ART, highlighting the importance of considering social and relational aspects, as well as beliefs about parenthood, in understanding the emotional distress associated with infertility.