title: The Oxford Worries about Labour Scale: women's experience and measurement characteristics of a measure of maternal concern about labour and birth.
abstract: This study describes the measurement characteristics of a short (9-item) multi-dimensional measure of worry about labour and birth, the Oxford Worries about Labour Scale (OWLS-9), and its use in a large-scale study of women's experience of care. The data utilised were from 2960 women who participated in a national survey of a random sample of women who had recently given birth in England. Exploratory factor analysis revealed three sub-scales within the instrument assessing specific concerns about labour pain and distress, pre-labour uncertainty and interventions. The characteristics of each sub-scale revealed good divergent and discriminant validity. Further, the labour and distress subscale score was found to be significantly associated with both self-reported 'baby blues' and self-reported postnatal depression. The study findings suggest that the three sub-scales embedded can be utilised or the OWLS-9 employed as a full-scale instrument. Used antenatally, the OWLS-9 and OWLS sub-scales may offer a relevant and clinically useful measure of worry about labour and birth. Limitations of the study are discussed and the direction of future research indicated.
authors.affiliation: National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford, UK. maggie.redshaw@npeu.ox.ac.uk
authors.forename: Maggie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Redshaw
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rowe
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hockley
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000523:psychology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D036801:Parturition / Q000523:psychology*; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires