Validity and Reliability of the Antepartum Gastrointestinal Symptom Assessment Instrument

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Gastroenterology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are common during pregnancy.
• A validated instrument is needed to assess these symptoms accurately.
• The Antepartum Gastrointestinal Symptom Assessment (AP-GI-SA) was developed to address this need.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the psychometric properties of the nine-item Antepartum Gastrointestinal Symptom Assessment (AP-GI-SA) instrument.
• To determine the validity and reliability of the AP-GI-SA for assessing GI symptoms in pregnant women.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study was conducted with 45 pregnant women in an urban prenatal clinic.
• Bayesian structural equation modeling was used to assess construct validity.
• Reliability was evaluated using the maximal reliability coefficient and Cronbach's alpha.

Main Results:

• The AP-GI-SA demonstrated good construct validity, with a single-factor model being a plausible fit for GI symptoms.
• Reliability was supported by a maximal reliability coefficient of 0.75 and Cronbach's alpha of 0.67.
• Heartburn was the most frequently reported symptom in the third trimester.

Conclusions:

• The AP-GI-SA shows preliminary evidence of validity and reliability for assessing GI symptoms during pregnancy.
• The instrument is suitable for use in intervention studies and clinical practice for quick GI symptom evaluation.