Cross-Cultural Validation of the Sexual Desire Inventory (SDI-2) in 42 Countries and 26 Languages

Abstract

Sexual desire is a complex construct with important implications for sexual functioning and well-being. In this research, we translated the Sexual Desire Inventory (SDI-2), a widely used scale for assessing sexual (desire), into 25 languages from English and used data from the International Sex Survey (ISS) to (a) investigate its psychometric properties (i.e. factorial structure, reliability, validity, and measurement invariance) and (b) explore the expression of sexual desire across different countries, genders, and sexual orientations. A total of 82,243 participants from 42 countries completed the SDI-2, along with other sexuality-related scales. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a three-factor solution for the SDI-2 (CFI = .980; RMSEA = .060), encompassing the domains of "Partner-related," "Attractive-person-related," and "Solitary" sexual desire. The reliability of the total score and subscales were excellent. Likewise, correlations with other sexuality-related variables were positive yet weak-to-moderate in effect size. Measurement invariance tests supported its use across countries, languages, genders, and sexual orientations. Analysis of SDI-2 scores according to these variables supported its ability to capture group-based differences in sexual desire. In sum, the SDI-2 constitutes a psychometrically robust measure for the assessment of sexual desire in non-clinical samples with utility in large-scale cross-cultural studies.