Abstract
BACKGROUND: Given the importance of the childbirth experience, its effects on women's life and society, and the need for its assessment by accurate instruments, this study aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the Questionnaire for Assessing the Childbirth Experience (QACE) in an Iranian women population. METHODS: The validity of the Farsi edition of the questionnaire was assessed using the opinions of eight experts. Its construct validity was assessed by studying 530 mothers, at 1-4-month postpartum, who delivered in health centers of Tabriz, Iran. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed to identify its factors. Then, the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed for the structural assessment of the extracted factors. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to investigate the correlation between factors. Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were used to obtain the internal consistency and test-retest reliability. RESULTS: In total, four factors were extracted from the EFA: "relationship with staff" (4 questions), "first moments with the newborn" (3 questions), "feelings at one-month postpartum" (3 questions), and "emotional status" (3 questions). According to the CFA, the model achieved desired fit level (RMSEA < 0.08, GFI, CFI, IFI > 0.90, and x(2)/df < 5.0). Cronbach's alpha (0.77-0.82) and intraclass correlation coefficient index (0.83-0.98) were desirable for all factors. CONCLUSION: The short edition of the QACE, as a standard tool, can be used by future studies to measure the experience of Iranian women.