Psychometric Testing of the Perception of Pregnancy Risk Questionnaire

Pregnant women's Perception of risk may influence their health behaviors during Pregnancy; however, no validated instrument exists to measure those Perceptions. The purpose of this study was to refine a new instrument, the Perception of Pregnancy Risk Questionnaire (PPRQ), and conduct Psychometric assessment of the final 9-item version. Reliability and validity were assessed using a sample of 199 women in the third trimester of Pregnancy. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in a two-factor solution. Evidence of construct validity was demonstrated using the known groups technique and through convergent validity. Ratings of Pregnancy risk correlated with state anxiety level, providing evidence of concurrent validity. The PPRQ had high internal consistency reliability and excellent test-retest reliability. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 32:493-503, 2009