Background: The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) is an internationally validated multidimensional self-report instrument for assessing female sexual function across six domains. Despite its widespread use, a psychometrically validated Hindi version has not been available for application among Hindi-speaking women in India, where sexual dysfunction remains underdiagnosed. Aim: This study aimed to perform a rigorous translation, cultural adaptation, and psychometric validation of the Hindi version of the FSFI (FSFI-H). Methods: The original FSFI was translated into Hindi using a standardized forward-backward translation protocol recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), followed by expert panel review and cognitive debriefing in a pilot sample. A cross-sectional validation study was conducted among 200 sexually active, Hindi-speaking women aged 18–50 years attending a tertiary gynecology outpatient clinic. Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha. Test-retest reliability over a two-week interval was assessed in a subsample ( n = 40) using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: The FSFI-H demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.89), with subscale alphas ranging from 0.78 to 0.92. Test-retest reliability was strong (ICC = 0.91; 95% CI : 0.87–0.94). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed a six-factor structure consistent with the original FSFI domains, accounting for 78.2% of the total variance. Known-groups validity was confirmed by significantly lower total FSFI-H scores among women with diagnosed sexual dysfunction compared to controls (mean ± SD : 19.3 ± 4.6 vs. 27.7 ± 3.8; P < .001; Cohen’s d = 2.01). Conclusion: The FSFI-H is a psychometrically sound instrument for assessing female sexual function in Hindi-speaking populations. The FSFI-H is a psychometrically sound and culturally appropriate instrument for assessing female sexual function in Hindi-speaking populations and can be reliably used for clinical screening, epidemiological research, and outcome assessment in Indian women.
Solanki et al. (Thu,) studied this question.