A meta-analysis of the reliability of the Sexual Self-Esteem Inventory in Women (SSEI-W) measure

In 1996, Zeanah & Schwarz proposed a new measurement instrument for capturing sexual self-esteem in women (SSEI-W). This 81 item measure is a multidimensional measure, allowing for both the calculation of an overall scale and scores for five subscale components. Since its conception, this measure has been broadly used not just with student samples but also with general population and clinical population samples. Although the measure’s reliability was originally validated in a student sample, it has been used broadly in other populations and also in other cultures. Therefore, we examine the reliability based on Cronbach’s alpha of the SSEI-W via random effects meta-analyses and explore which aspects could impact the reliability of the scale. Our results showed that while there is substantial heterogeneity, the overall measure shows very good reliability. There was little evidence that sample characteristics impacted the overall reliability of the SSEI-W, though, as expected, shortened versions produced lower reliabilities. Good to very good reliabilities were also found for all the subscales. We discuss directions for further research with the SSEI-W.