Development and validation of the postpartum sleep quality scale

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Sleep Medicine
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Postpartum sleep disorders significantly impact women's health.
• Existing assessment tools inadequately address factors contributing to postpartum sleep issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Postpartum Sleep Quality Scale (PSQS).
• To assess the psychometric properties of the PSQS for use in postnatal women.

Main Methods:

• Developed 16 items from clinical practice, literature review, and expert input.
• Recruited 202 postpartum women for psychometric testing (reliability, validity).
• Utilized exploratory factor analysis and correlation with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.

Main Results:

• A 14-item PSQS demonstrated good internal consistency (α = .81) and test-retest reliability (r = .81).
• Factor analysis identified two key dimensions: 'Infant night care-related daytime dysfunction' and 'Physical symptoms-related sleep inefficiency'.
• Convergent validity was supported by a significant correlation (r = .67) with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.

Conclusions:

• The 14-item PSQS is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring postpartum sleep quality.
• The PSQS is useful for evaluating intervention protocols in Taiwanese postpartum women experiencing sleep disturbance.