Shin Hyunjeong, Jeon Songi, Cho Inhae
Korea University College of Nursing, Seoul, South Korea.
Catholic Kwandong University Department of Nursing, Gangneung, South Korea.
Midwifery. 2025 Apr;143:104329. doi: 10.1016/j.midw.2025.104329. Epub 2025 Feb 6.
According to systematic literature reviews, most studies measured pregnant women's quality of life using generic measures.
Condition-specific questionnaires are more sensitive and responsive than generic questionnaires. There is a great need to establish specific measures for assessing pregnant women's health-related quality of life considering their unique experiences of pregnancy.
To develop and test psychometric properties of the PregQOL, a health-related quality of life measure specific to pregnant women.
To construct the items of the PregQOL, we conducted semi-structured face-to-face interviews with five pregnant women in addition to an extensive literature review. For psychometric testing, data were collected with a convenience sample of 411 pregnant women. Construct validity was assessed via exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Convergent and known-groups validity were evaluated. Internal consistency reliability was studied using Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega. Test-retest reliability was examined.
After evaluation of content validity and exploratory/confirmatory factor analysis, the 24-item PregQOL was developed with four dimensions: daily functioning, supportive conditions, adaptation to pregnancy, and psychological well-being. It demonstrated convergent validity with relations to a quality of life measure for general population. Known-groups validity was supported by significant differences between the depressed and non-depressed groups. The scale demonstrated adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability. It also showed good reliability across three trimesters of pregnancy.
The newly developed PregQOL demonstrated good psychometric properties across three trimesters of pregnancy.
The PregQOL might be useful for helping midwives and other healthcare providers understand the overall well-being of pregnant women.
