Development of Pregnancy Risk Symptom Perception Scale

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Psychometrics
• Maternal Health

Background:

• Assessing pregnant women's perception of pregnancy risks is crucial for effective prenatal care.
• Existing tools may not adequately capture the multifaceted nature of risk perception during pregnancy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Pregnancy Risk symptom Perception Scale (PRPS).
• To provide a reliable instrument for measuring pregnancy risk symptom perception.

Main Methods:

• A 30-item preliminary scale was developed using literature review and interviews.
• Content validity was assessed, and the scale was administered to 301 pregnant women.
• Statistical analyses included item analysis, factor analysis, and reliability testing (Cronbach's α).

Main Results:

• The final PRPS consists of 27 items across three factors: physical, environmental, and emotional (explaining 55% of variance).
• The scale demonstrated good validity, with a correlation of r=0.34 with the Perception of Pregnancy Risk Questionnaire.
• High reliability was confirmed with a total Cronbach's α of 0.90.

Conclusions:

• The PRPS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing pregnancy risk symptom perception in Korean pregnant women.
• This scale can be used to measure risk perception during pregnancy.
• The PRPS can contribute to developing systematic prenatal care and effective risk management strategies.