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BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

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Open Access 01-12-2020 | Preterm Labor | Research article

Development and validation of the prenatal activity restriction stress questionnaire: a Rasch rating scale analysis

Authors: Hsiao-Ying Hung, Su-Pin Hung, Ying-Ju Chang

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

Abstract

Background

Antepartum activity restriction (AAR) is a common recommendation given to women at risk for preterm delivery. However, such treatment has been shown to cause heavy emotional burdens on the women receiving it since it requires them to face many challenges derived from the intervention. Nevertheless, current existing scales lack effective items that can reflect the distress of these women. The aim of this study was to develop a reliable instrument to assess the distress of women experiencing AAR.

Method

The Prenatal Activity Restriction Stress Questionnaire (PARSQ) was developed according to comprehensive literature review, women’s interviews, and existing pregnancy-special stress scales from August 2016 to July 2017 in southern Taiwan. Six experts evaluated its content validity; the Rasch rating scale model (RSM) was used to examine its item-fit, dimensionality, and reliability with 200 women with AAR experience. Furthermore, the concurrent validity was assessed through computing the correlation of AAR women’s scores on the PARSQ and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and discriminant validity of the PARSQ was assessed to compare the scores’ differences between the AAR women and the healthy pregnant women.

Results

The PARSQ was constructed with 23 items in the 4-dimensional scale: Role function changes (8 items), Fetal safety and health (5 items), Physical and psychological care issues (5 items), and Socioeconomic and medical issues (5 items). It was confirmed to have satisfactory content vitality (CVI = 0.78 to 1.0), reasonable item-fit (0.77 to 1.51), and good reliability in RSM model, as well as adequate concurrent validity (p = 0.005) and discriminant validity (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Understanding the distress of women undergoing AAR is necessary for developing appropriate prenatal care to assist women in coping with their situation to alleviate their emotional burdens. The developed PARSQ with satisfied psychometric properties can be an informative instrument for clinicians/researchers to assess the specific stress of pregnant women with AAR.

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Title: Development and validation of the prenatal activity restriction stress questionnaire: a Rasch rating scale analysis
Authors: Hsiao-Ying Hung
Su-Pin Hung
Ying-Ju Chang
Publication date: 01-12-2020
Publisher: BioMed Central
Keyword: Preterm Labor
Published in: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth / Issue 1/2020
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2393
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-020-03347-3

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Springer Medicine

Development and validation of the prenatal activity restriction stress questionnaire: a Rasch rating scale analysis

Abstract

Background

Method

Results

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Method

Results

Conclusions

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