Validation of the Postnatal Perceived Stress Inventory in a French Speaking Population of Primiparous Women

摘要

Objective: To develop a Postnatal Perceived Stress Inventory (PNPSI) and assess its psychometric properties. Design: Cross-sectional quantitative study. Setting: One nurse-managed labor and delivery unit in a university hospital in a major metropolitan area. Participants: One hundred seventy-nine (179) primiparous French speaking women who gave birth at term. Methods: The PNPSI was validated at 6 weeks postpartum. Its predictive validity for depression and anxiety was assessed at the same time. Results: The exploratory analysis revealed a 19-item structure divided into six factors. This inventory has good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .815). The predictive validity shows that the PNPSI significantly predicts depression and anxiety at 6 weeks postpartum, and that certain factors are particularly prominent. Conclusion: The PNPSI's psychometric properties make it a useful tool for future research to evaluate interventions for perceived stress during the postnatal period. Its predictive power for depression indicates that it is also a promising tool for clinical settings.