Development of Preconception Health Behavior Scale.

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Behavioral Science
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Preconception health is crucial for maternal and infant outcomes.
• A validated tool is needed to assess preconception health behaviors.
• Existing measures may not adequately capture the multifaceted nature of these behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a reliable scale for evaluating preconception health behavior.
• To identify key factors influencing women's health behaviors before pregnancy.

Main Methods:

• Literature review, expert interviews, and conceptual framework construction.
• Content validity assessment by experts and preliminary investigations.
• Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis for reliability and validity testing in women preparing for pregnancy.

Main Results:

• A 27-item, 6-factor scale was developed, including hazardous substance use, medical management, rest/sleep, stress management, information acquisition, and resource preparation.
• The scale demonstrated excellent model fit (CFI=.91, TLI=.89, SRMR=.07, RMSEA=.07).
• High reliability (Cronbach's alpha=.92) and acceptable test-retest reliability (.61) and criterion validity (.64) were found.

Conclusions:

• The developed scale is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing preconception health behaviors.
• Findings support its use in developing targeted nursing interventions to improve preconception health.
• Promoting preconception health behaviors can positively impact pregnancy outcomes.