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The Postpartum Support Questionnaire: psychometric properties in adolescents
M Cynthia Logsdon1, Wayne M Usui
1School of Nursing, University of Louisville, KY, USA. mclogs01@gwise.louisville.edu
Summary
Social support is crucial for postpartum adolescents. The Postpartum Support Questionnaire (PSQ) shows reliability and validity in this group, though definitions of support may differ. Researchers should use adolescent-specific instruments.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Nursing
- Adolescent Health
Background:
- Adequate social support positively impacts postpartum adolescents and their infants.
- Existing adult-focused social support measures may not be reliable or valid for adolescents without psychometric evaluation.
- Adolescent social support is a critical variable in research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Postpartum Support Questionnaire (PSQ) for use with adolescent populations.
- To determine if the PSQ, originally developed for adults, accurately measures social support in postpartum adolescents.
Main Methods:
- The Postpartum Support Questionnaire (PSQ) was adapted for adolescents based on focus group feedback.
- The revised PSQ was administered to 109 postpartum adolescents recruited from a Teenage Parent Program.
Main Results:
- The PSQ demonstrated high internal consistency reliability for the total instrument and its subscales.
- Factor analysis largely supported the original four-factor structure found in adult data, with potential for an additional adolescent-specific factor.
- Material and emotional support loaded onto the same factor in the adolescent sample.
Conclusions:
- Social support may be conceptualized differently by postpartum adolescents compared to adults.
- Further research with larger samples is necessary to confirm these findings.
- Researchers studying postpartum adolescents should utilize instruments with demonstrated psychometric properties specific to this demographic.
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