HPV and Health-related Quality of Life Scale: Turkish validity and reliability study

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to adapt the HPV and Health-Related Quality of Life Scale (HPV-RQOLS) into Turkish and evaluate its reliability and validity. METHODS: This methodological study employed a cross-sectional design and convenience sampling. A total of 150 women diagnosed with HPV who presented to a training and research hospital in Turkey between January and December 2023 were included. The inclusion criteria were age between 18 and 60 years, proficiency in Turkish, a confirmed HPV-positive diagnosis, and voluntary participation in the study. Data were collected using the Participant Diagnosis Form and the HPV and Health-Related Quality of Life Scale (HPV-QoL) and SF-12 Quality of Life Scale. Analyses included content and construct validity through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), internal consistency, concurrent and convergent validity. RESULTS: The Confirmatory Factor Analysis conducted in this study demonstrated that the four-factor model of the original scale did not show an adequate fit to the data. In contrast, the three-factor structure of the Turkish version exhibited acceptable fit indices (χ²/df = 2.219, RMSEA = 0.080, GFI = 0.884, AGFI = 0.821, CFI = 0.957). The Turkish HPV-QoL scale was found to comprise three factors-general well-being, health, and sexuality-and this structure explained a statistically significant proportion of the variance (p < 0.01). The contagiousness dimension present in the original scale was removed in the Turkish adaptation based on insufficient factor loadings (< 0.40) and recommendations from the expert panel. Acceptable model fit and high internal consistency were confirmed (total α = 0.938; subscales: 0.807-0.881). The total Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the scale was 0.938, indicating high reliability. Test-retest analyses demonstrated the scale's stability over time (p < 0.05). Furthermore, correlation analysis with the SF-12 Quality of Life Scale revealed a moderate, positive, and statistically significant association (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The Turkish HPV-QoL scale is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing health-related quality of life in individuals diagnosed with HPV. Its use in clinical practice and research settings may contribute to a better understanding of the psychosocial and physical impacts of HPV on individuals and support the planning of targeted interventions.