Development and Validation of the Birth Environment Assessment Scale.

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Psychometrics
• Maternal Well-being

Background:

• Understanding the birth environment is crucial for maternal well-being.
• Existing tools may not fully capture women's perceptions of their birth experiences.
• Developing reliable measures is essential for research and clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the psychometric properties of the newly developed Birth Environment Assessment Scale (BEAS).
• To establish the validity and reliability of the BEAS for assessing perceptions of the birth environment.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive psychometric study was conducted using an online survey of 343 adult women in the United States who gave birth in the past 5 years.
• Content validity, internal consistency, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were performed.
• Criterion validity was assessed using established scales for postpartum depression, anxiety, and stress. Measurement invariance by race was tested using multigroup analysis.

Main Results:

• Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a two-factor solution and a unidimensional factor structure.
• BEAS scores demonstrated criterion validity through significant correlations with postpartum depression, anxiety, and stress.
• Multigroup analysis confirmed the stability of the BEAS factor structure across racial groups, indicating measurement invariance.

Conclusions:

• The Birth Environment Assessment Scale (BEAS) is a psychometrically sound instrument for measuring women's perceptions of the birth environment.
• The BEAS can be utilized as a valuable tool to inform the creation of more supportive and comfortable birth settings.
• This scale offers a reliable method for researchers and clinicians to assess the impact of the birth environment on maternal experiences.