Psychometric properties of the Pandemic-Related Pregnancy Stress Scale (PREPS)

• Main Authors: Heidi Preis (Author), Brittain Mahaffey (Author), Marci Lobel (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group, 2020-07-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 0167-482X; 1743-8942; 10.1080/0167482X.2020.1801625
• Keywords: covid-19; prenatal maternal stress; pandemic-related pregnancy stress; psychometrics; Gynecology and obstetrics; RG1-991
• Source: Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vol 41, Iss 3, Pp 191-197 (2020)

Purpose Pregnant women are facing numerous COVID-19 related burdens including social isolation, financial insecurity, uncertainty about the impact of the virus on fetal development, and prenatal care restrictions. We tested the psychometric properties of a new instrument designed to assess the extent and types of pandemic-related stress experienced by pregnant women. Materials and methods 4,451 pregnant women from across the U.S. were recruited via social media and completed an online questionnaire in April-May 2020. The questionnaire included measures of psychological, sociodemographic, and obstetric factors and the new Pandemic-Related Pregnancy Stress Scale (PREPS). Results Confirmatory factor analyses of the PREPS showed excellent model fit. Three factors - Perinatal Infection Stress (5 items), Preparedness Stress (7 items), and Positive Appraisal (3 items) - converged and diverged with expected psychological factors, and scales created from these factors demonstrated acceptable to good reliability (α's 0.68-0.86). In addition, mean PREPS scores were associated with perceived risk of infection, and with financial and vocational COVID-19 related burdens. Conclusion The PREPS is a robust instrument to assess multidimensional COVID-19 pandemic prenatal stress. It is a valuable tool for future research to examine vulnerability to pandemic stress and how this stress may affect women and their offspring.