Abstract
Background: Maternal control and the sense of support significantly influence a woman's experience of birth. This study aimed to adapt and validate the Support and Control in Birth (SCIB) scale in Spanish women to assess maternal perceptions of support and control during birth, and to develop and validate an abbreviated version of the instrument. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 302 Spanish women who had given birth within the previous 6 months and were at least 1 week postpartum. Content, construct, and criterion validity, as well as reliability, were analysed using an expert panel, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient, and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). Criterion validity was assessed using the Generalised Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7) and the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R). Results: The KMO test yielded a value of 0.925, and Bartlett's test of sphericity was significant (p < 0.001). EFA identified three factors (Support, External control, and Internal control) that explained 56.49% of the total variance. CFA showed good model fit for most of the evaluated indices. The SCIB scale correlated negatively with the GAD-7 and positively with the BSS-R (p < 0.001), as well as with several obstetric and neonatal variables (p < 0.05): planned pregnancy, high-risk pregnancy, onset and type of delivery, birth plan, use of epidural analgesia, maternal involvement, postpartum complications, and newborn characteristics. Cronbach's alpha was 0.951, and the ICC indicated excellent consistency and agreement (0.995; 95% CI: 0.990-0.998). Based on expert panel consensus, a 24-item abbreviated version was developed that exhibited psychometric properties similar to those of the original version and a high correlation with it (r > 0.90). Conclusions: The Support and Control in Birth (SCIB) scale is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing perceptions of support and control during birth in Spanish women. The 24-item abbreviated version is recommended.