Translation, adaptation and psychometric validation of the preterm birth experience and satisfaction scale (P-BESS) into Spanish

Validity and reliability of the Iranian preterm birth experiences and satisfaction scale: A methodological and cross-sectional study

Background: Women’s experience and satisfaction with childbirth care are increasingly being addressed by health care providers, managers, and policymakers. Due to need for a validated special scale for assessing satisfaction of women with preterm birth, we aimed to translate and adapt the first specific tool, Preterm Birth Experiences and Satisfaction Scale (P-BESS), into Persian language and evaluate its psychometric properties.

Methods: A methodological and cross-sectional study was conducted in two tertiary levels of maternal hospitals in Tabriz. The Iranian version of the scale was developed from the original English version using forward-backward translation. After confirmation of its face and content validity, the scale was completed by 201 women who had given birth prematurely.

Results: Exploratory factor analysis revealed three factors (staff professionalism and empathy, confidence in Staff, information and explanations) with eigenvalues greater than 1, explaining a total variance of 55.4%. Confirmatory factory analysis showed that the 17-item, three factor model fitted the data well: the root mean square error of approximation 0.060. There were moderate correlations between the total and sub-scales of Iranian P-BESS and overall satisfaction (r = 0.45 to 0.66), as well as need for improvement (r = -0.46 to -0.61), which confirm convergent validity. Internal consistency and test–retest reliability of the scale and its sub-scales were satisfactory (α = 0.852 to 0.922, intraclass correlation coefficient; 0.83 to 0.92).

Conclusion: The Iranian version of P-BESS is a valid and reliable scale which can be used by policy makers, managers, health care providers and researchers.

[Validation of the questionnaire for assessing the childbirth experience (QACE) in a French population]

BACKGROUND

A woman's negative perception of her subjective childbirth experience can have consequences on the mother's psychological state and on early mother-baby relationships. To date, there is no validated tool in France allowing to evaluate childbirth experience in a multidimensional way. The aim of this study is to validate the Questionnaire Assessing the Childbirth Experience (QEVA) in a French sample of mothers. This tool was developed in a previous study where the authors combined 25 items into 6 dimensions: representations and expectations, sensory perceptions, feeling of control, perceived social support (medical staff and partner), emotions (positive and negative) and first moments with the baby.

METHODS

The sample included 256 women recruited in a maternity ward. Sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics of our sample were compared to those of the French national perinatal survey. The structure of the QEVA with 17 items was explored by an exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM). An analysis of the internal consistency was conducted on the sub-scores of the identified factors, and the concurrent validity was assessed with the Peri-traumatic Distress Inventory (PDI) through a correlation and its associated t-test.

RESULTS

The characteristics of our sample and those of the national perinatal survey do not differ on age, marital status, parity, cannabis use, infertility treatment, epidural and baby weight, in favour of the good representativeness of our sample. The study of the QEVA structure revealed a 4-dimensional structure. Analysis of the psychometric qualities showed a good internal consistency, with an observed alpha value ranging from 0.69 to 0.86. The QEVA also shows a good concurrent validity with the peri-traumatic distress scores (r=0.51).

CONCLUSION

To date, the QEVA is the first standardized tool allowing a multidimensional evaluation of the subjective experience of childbirth. It has been validated on a French population using an exploratory structural equation modeling. This tool, which is simple to use and well accepted by mothers, enables health professionals not only to screen mothers experiencing difficult childbirth and in need of support, but also to adapt health care according to the dimensions of the birth experience and its associated difficulties (emotions during the birth, interactions with health professionals, first moments with the baby, or post-partum emotions).

Women's satisfaction with maternity care during preterm birth

BACKGROUND

Women's satisfaction with maternity care is strongly influenced by their sociodemographic characteristics, values, and attitudes. The arrival of a preterm baby is often a traumatic time, with unique factors involved. The Spanish Preterm Birth Experience and Satisfaction Scale (P-BESS) is a robust instrument capable of assessing women's satisfaction during preterm birth. The purpose of this study was to assess women's satisfaction with maternity care during labor and birth with preterm babies in a Spanish-speaking population.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study. Participants were 182 women who gave birth within 37 weeks' gestation. Factors associated with satisfaction were studied through univariate and bivariate analyses and through multiple linear regression using the backward elimination method.

RESULTS

Women reported high satisfaction with maternity care overall (average score of 84 out of 95). Women with a university education were generally less satisfied. Women were more satisfied if they were pregnant for the first time. Women who reported a previous premature birth or neonatal death were more satisfied, and women who had prior miscarriages were less satisfied compared with women without these experiences.

CONCLUSIONS

The analysis confirmed that the majority of women surveyed were very satisfied with their childbirth experience. The Spanish P-BESS can be a useful way of prioritizing intervention measures, focusing on those aspects lowest scored by women, such as "information and explanations" and "confidence in staff," to improve maternity services for families experiencing preterm birth.