Designing and determining psychometric properties of a questionnaire on assessment of men's attitudes toward male participation in women's sexual and reproductive health issues

Abstract

Context: Men's participation in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues can help countries achieve their national development goals, such as reducing maternal mortality, increasing the use of contraceptives, and reducing the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Aims: The purpose of this study is to design and to determine the psychometric properties of a questionnaire on the assessment of men's attitudes toward male participation in women's SRH issues. Setting and Design: In this study, 449 married men from cities of Nowshahr and Chalus in Iran who were selected by the available sampling method completed Questionnaire on Assessment of Men's Attitudes in 2018. Materials and Methods: An exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach was used in the present study and focused on research instrument design performed in two qualitative and quantitative phases. Statistical Analysis: The formal validity, content, and structure (convergent and divergent validity) and the reliability of the scale were investigated. Confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis was performed using SPSS Amos 24 software. Results: Four factors fit to the assessment of men's attitudes are confirmed according to standard indicators that include “emotional and gender-based attention,” “support for girls,” “attention and supply of SRH, and prevention of violence.” Convergent and divergent validity for all factors, as well as internal consistency and structural stability, are acceptable. Conclusions: Given the importance and the necessity of male participation in women's reproductive health, this questionnaire was endowed with sufficient validity and reliability and could be useful to precisely assess men's attitudes in this regard.