title: Development of the Childbirth Perception Scale (CPS): perception of delivery and the first postpartum week.
abstract: Some caregivers suggest a more positive experience of childbirth when giving birth at home. Since properly developed instruments that assess women's perception of delivery and the early postpartum are missing, the aim of the current study is to develop a Childbirth Perception Scale (CPS). Three focus groups with caregivers, pregnant women, and women who recently gave birth were conducted. Psychometric properties of 23 candidate items derived from the interviews were tested with explorative factor analysis (EFA) (N = 495). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed in another sample of women (N = 483) and confirmed a 12-item CPS. The EFA in sample I suggested a two-component solution: a subscale 'perception of delivery' (six items) and a subscale 'perception of the first postpartum week' (six items). The CFA in sample II confirmed an adequate model fit and a good internal consistency (α = .82). Multivariate linear regression showed a positive effect of home delivery on perception of delivery in multiparous but not in primiparous women. The 12-item CPS with two dimensions (perception of delivery and perception of first postpartum week) has adequate psychometric properties. In multiparous women, home delivery showed to be independently related to more positive perception of delivery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Máxima Medical Centre, Veldhoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sophie E M
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Truijens
authors.forename: Hennie A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Wijnen
authors.forename: Antoinette M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pommer
authors.forename: S Guid
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Oei
authors.forename: Victor J M
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Pop
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000523:psychology*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D010298:Parity; D036801:Parturition / Q000523:psychology*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010465:Perception; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000523:psychology; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*