Paper
Saturday, July 24, 2004
This presentation is part of : Method Testing
Psychometric Testing of the Perception of Pregnancy Risk Questionnaire
Maureen I. Heaman, RN, PhD, Faculty of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Learning Objective #1: Describe the reliability and validity of a new instrument, the Perception of Pregnancy Risk Questionnaire
Learning Objective #2: Discuss the potential uses of this new questionnaire in future research

Objective: To test the reliability and validity of a new instrument, the Perception of Pregnancy Risk Questionnaire (PPRQ). Design: Methodological study. Sample, Setting, Years: Participants included women who were hospitalized for complications in the third trimester of their pregnancy in a tertiary care hospital in a central Canadian city (n=100), and a comparison group of women with an uncomplicated pregnancy receiving prenatal care in the outpatient department (n=99). Data were collected between October 2002 and July 2003. Concepts studied: The PPRQ, consisting of a series of 11 visual analogue scales, was used to measure self-assessed risk during pregnancy. Spielberger state anxiety inventory (STAI) was used to measure anxiety. Methods: Participants completed the PPRQ, STAI and a demographic data form; then completed the PPRQ again seven days later. Findings: Women who were hospitalized with a complication of pregnancy had a significantly higher perception of pregnancy risk score (Mean 465.6, SD 207.1) than women with an uncomplicated pregnancy (M 268.7, SD 163.5), providing evidence of construct validity using the known-groups technique. A high rating of pregnancy risk was related to a high state anxiety level (Pearson r = 0.470, p<0.001), providing evidence of criterion-related validity. Factor analysis confirmed two factors. The PPRQ had high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s alpha 0.90). The instrument also demonstrated acceptable test-retest reliability (r = 0.88, p = 0.01), indicating that a women’s assessment of her pregnancy risk remains stable over the course of a week. Conclusion: The PPRQ is a valid and reliable measure of women’s self-perceived risk during pregnancy. Implications: Women’s perceptions of their pregnancy risk may differ from that of their health care providers, and may influence their health behaviors during pregnancy. This new measure of self-perceived risk will be useful for future research exploring this concept.

Back to Method Testing
Back to 15th International Nursing Research Congress
Sigma Theta Tau International
July 22-24, 2004