Assessing the impact of Vulvodynia on quality of life: translation and validation of the Vulvodynia Experience Questionnaire in Italian women.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to conduct a cross-cultural validation and adaptation of the Vulvodynia Experience Questionnaire (VEQ) within the Italian context.

DESIGN

This study used a cross-sectional design to culturally adapt and validate the VEQ instrument. The study is reported following the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist for cross-sectional studies.

METHODS

The questionnaire was translated using the forward-backward translation method. Face and content validity were assessed through the calculation of the impact score and the Item-level Content Validity Index (I-CVI) and Scale-level Content Validity Index, Average (S-CVI/Ave). The comprehensibility of the items in Italian was evaluated. The final questionnaire was administered to women with vulvodynia through snowball sampling, and descriptive statistics and Cronbach's alpha coefficient were calculated to assess its reliability and internal consistency.

RESULTS

The content and face validity demonstrate good relevance, appropriateness, and comprehensibility. The internal consistency was measured using Cronbach's alpha, which yielded a value of 0.875, indicating good reliability of the instrument.

CONCLUSIONS

The VEQ-IT demonstrated good reliability and validity in assessing the quality of life of Italian women affected by vulvodynia. Its clinical use could improve patient management and support the personalization of care pathway by systematically capturing the broader impact of symptoms on daily life, sexuality, and psychological well-being.