Validating a scale to measure respectful maternity care in Australia: Challenges and recommendations

Respectful maternity care is a pervasive human rights issue, but little is known about its realisation in Australia. Two scales, developed in North America, measure key aspects of respectful maternity care: the Mothers on Respect Index and Mothers Autonomy in Decision Making scale. This study aimed to validate these two scales in Queensland, Australia, and to determine the extent to which women currently experience respectful maternity care and autonomy in decision making.

A sequential two-phase study. A focus group reviewed the scales, made adaptations to scale items and completed a Content Validation Survey. The Respectful Maternity Care in Queensland survey, comprising the validated Australian scales and demographic questions was distributed online in early 2020.

Queensland, Australia.

Focus group involved women (n=10) who were aged over 18, English-speaking, and had given birth during the preceding two years. All women who had birthed in Queensland between September 2019 and February 2020, were eligible to participate in the cross-sectional survey. 161 women participated in the survey.

Item content validity (>0.78) was established for all but one item. Scale content validity was established for both scales (0.92 and 0.99 respectively). Survey participants (n= 161) were mostly married/partnered (95%), heterosexual (93%), tertiary educated (47%), Caucasian (88%), and had experienced a range of maternity models of care. Median scores on each scale (74 and 26 respectively) indicated that participants felt well respected and highly autonomous. Free-text comments highlighted the importance of relationship-based care.

Both scales appear valid for use in Australia. Although most participants reported high levels of respect and autonomy, the proportion of participants who had experienced continuity of midwifery care was also high.

Both scales could be routinely deployed as patient reported experience measures in Australia, broadening the data that informs maternity service planning and delivery.