Testing the Health Practices in Pregnancy Questionnaire-II.
OBJECTIVE
To revise and test a 34-item self-administered questionnaire that measures health practices important to pregnancy outcome.


METHODS
Three studies were conducted: a content validity study with nurse experts, a content validity study with pregnant women, and a cross-sectional study using mailed surveys to test the reliability and construct validity of the Health Practices in Pregnancy Questionnaire-II (HPQ-II).


METHODS
Nurse-midwifery and obstetric physician practices.


METHODS
Clinical experts (n = 8) and pregnant women (n = 10 for Study 2; n = 312 for Study 3).


METHODS
The HPQ-II, a self-report instrument that measures pregnancy health practices.


RESULTS
Content validity was established with two reviews of the HPQ-II conducted by clinical experts and pregnant women and by a satisfactory Content Validity Index. Construct validity was supported by statistically significant correlations with a measure of prepregnancy health practices, scores on individual prepregnancy health practice items, and a theoretically related measure of women's attitudes toward their pregnancies and babies. Reliability (internal consistency) was satisfactory.


CONCLUSIONS
This instrument promises to be useful in research and practice involving health practices during pregnancy.
Lindgren
Kelly
K
University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Nursing, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53792-2455, USA. kjlindgren@facstaff.wisc.edu
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008875:Middle Aged; D015146:Midwestern United States; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D011247:Pregnancy; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000523:psychology*; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000592:standards; D011594:Psychometrics; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*