Preventive Care in Nursing and Midwifery Journal

Background and Objectives: The GHQ-12 is a valid mental health screening tool. One of the proposed scoring styles for the GHQ-12 is C-GHQ. This study was designed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the GHQ-12 with the C-GHQ scoring style in women living in Kashan. Materials and Methods: In this psychometric analysis study, GHQ-12 was translated from English to Persian through back & forward method. A total of 139 women, referred to two health centers in Kashan in summer 2007, were selected through sequential sampling. Data were collected using the GHQ-12 and were scored with the proposed style. Reliability was determined via stability and internal consistency approaches. Validity was assessed via concurrent validity and exploratory factor analysis. The data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient, intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), spearman-brown, Guttman, Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and factor analysis in the SPSS-16. Results: The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0/79. The questionnaire stability was reported excellent using the test-re-test method. The item-total correlation confirmed the reliability. The GHQ and life satisfaction scale scores had significant correlation (r=-0/462, p<0/0001). The factor analysis extracted two factors with Eigen value more than one which could explain % 46/66 of the total variance Conclusion: The Persian GHQ-12 with C-GHQ scoring style was valid and reliable in measuring women’s mental health.