Adaptation of the female genital self image scale and examination of its psychometric properties

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop Turkish version and examine the psychometric properties of "The Genital Self Image Scale" developed by Herbenick and Reece (2010) to determine the female genital self-image of women. Method: The study, which was in the methodological research design, was conducted with 200 patients who were admitted to two Family Health Centers in Antalya determined by quota sampling between March and July 2018. Data were collected using the Personal İnformation Form and the Female Genital Self-Image Scale. Data analysis was performed using the 9.4 version of SAS (Statistical Analysis System) with descriptive statistics. In addition, content validity index, confirmatory factor analysis in the validity analysis ofdata andcronbach's alpha coefficient and item-total score correlations in the reliability analysis were used. Results: Content validity index of the scale ranged from 7.60 ± 2.55 to 9.90 ± 0.32. In the explanatory factor analysis used to evaluate the construct validity, the seven-item structure of the scale was confirmed. The Cronbach alpha value of the scale, which is one dimensional, was determined as 0.90. In addition, item-total score correlations of the scale ranged from 0.578 to 0.810. Conclusion: In this study, it was determined that the Turkish version of the Female Genital Self Image Scale, which was developed to evaluate the female genital self image of women, was a valid and reliable tool. It is thought that the data to be obtained from women by using Female Genital Self-Image Scale will make a significant contribution to the planning, implementation and evaluation of nursing care. Keywords: Genital self image, nursing, women health, psychometric properties.