Cross-cultural adaptation for Brazilian Portuguese and measurement properties of sexual function questionnaires for women: a systematic review

ABSTRACT This article aims to list questionnaires used to assess female sexual function, as well as to analyze the cross-cultural adaptation process for Brazilian Portuguese and the measurement properties tested. Search strategies were performed in the PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and LILACS databases, using words in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. Based on the inclusion criteria, data about the translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and measurement properties of each eligible questionnaire were extracted. The measurement properties reported were evaluated by two evaluators using the Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) checklist. The search returned a total of 46,987 studies, of which 131 were read in full, and only 12 were included in the review. Of the seven instruments that assess female sexual function found only three had their psychometric properties evaluated as good, with the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) being the most validated instrument for different clinical populations. There is a need to improve the validated versions of sexual dysfunction assessment instruments for the female population throughout their life cycle.