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BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

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Open Access 01-12-2020 | Anxiety | Research article

Validation of the Wijma delivery expectancy/experience questionnaire for pregnant women in Malawi: a descriptive, cross-sectional study

Authors: Madalitso Khwepeya, Hui-Chuan Huang, Gabrielle T. Lee, Shu-Yu Kuo

Published in: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth | Issue 1/2020

Abstract

Background

Fear of childbirth is a common health concern for women during pregnancy. The Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire (W-DEQ) is widely used to measure childbirth fear during pregnancy. However, this instrument is yet to be validated in Malawi, Africa. Our study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the W-DEQ questionnaire in Malawi.

Methods

Healthy pregnant women in the third trimester (N = 476) at a district hospital in Malawi were included. Fear of childbirth, depressive symptoms, and quality of life were assessed using the W-DEQ, the Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life scale, respectively. The construct validity, reliability, and convergent validity of the W-DEQ were examined using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, Cronbach’s alpha, and Pearson correlations.

Results

The mean age of participants was 28.2 (standard deviation = 6.8) years. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis of the Malawian version of the W-DEQ indicated a multidimensional structure with three factors: fear, negative appraisal, and a lack of self-efficacy, with acceptable goodness of model fit. The Malawian version of the W-DEQ showed a satisfactory internal consistency (α = 0.84) and was significantly correlated with depressive symptoms (r = 0.23, p < 0.001) and quality of life (r = − 0.17 ~ -0.26, ps < 0.05).

Conclusions

Our findings support the Malawian W-DEQ version being a reliable and valid instrument for measuring childbirth fear in African women.

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Title: Validation of the Wijma delivery expectancy/experience questionnaire for pregnant women in Malawi: a descriptive, cross-sectional study
Authors: Madalitso Khwepeya
Hui-Chuan Huang
Gabrielle T. Lee
Shu-Yu Kuo
Publication date: 01-12-2020
Publisher: BioMed Central
Keyword: Anxiety
Published in: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth / Issue 1/2020
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2393
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-020-03146-w

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Validation of the Wijma delivery expectancy/experience questionnaire for pregnant women in Malawi: a descriptive, cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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