임부스트레스 측정도구의 신뢰도 및 타당도 평가

Abstract

The perceived stress of pregnant women is a potential contributor to adverse birth outcomes. Although the importance of the psychosocial well-being of pregnant women has been emphasized, there are fewreliable and valid instruments to measure the stress level of pregnant women in Korea. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of Ahn's pregnancy related stress scale (PSS) that was originally developed in 1984. Two hundred pregnant women completed the survey questionnaire, which was comprised of the PSS, depression scale, and demographic information. Principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the construct validity. The concurrent validity was evaluated using the correlation with depression scores. Based on exploratory factor analysis and a consideration of conceptual meaning, a five-factor structure was extracted, explaining 57.25% of the variance: physical discomfort, fetus, parenting, spouse relationship, and housework. The goodness-of-fit indices showed an acceptable fit overall with the full model and acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha =.89). The concurrent validity was confirmed by a comparing with the depression score (r=.48, p <.001). The shortened PSS, as a valid and reliable scale, is recommended to be used to assess pregnancy-related stress and to develop stress managing interventions for pregnant women in clinical settings.