Psychometric Testing of the Support and Control in Birth Scale

Abstract Background The Support and Control in Birth (SCIB) scale primarily measures the perceived support and control of expectant mothers during childbirth, thereby obtaining an understanding of their birth experiences. The advantages of this scale are its good reliability and validity and that it consolidates birth support and control. However, a Chinese version of the scale has yet to be developed. This study aim is evaluate the validity and reliability of the Chinese version of the Support and Control in Birth Scale (SCIB).Methods A total of 228 postpartum women participated in this study. The Chinese version of the SCIB (C-SCIB) scale was developed through a translation and back translation, followed by an evaluation of its expert validity and content validity. Cronbach's α and test-retest reliability were used to test the internal consistency reliability of the scale. In addition, criterion-related validity (predictive validity and concurrent validity) and construct validity were used to test the validity of the scale.Results 1. The confirmatory factor analysis results showed the overall goodness-of-fit was parsimony fit indices. 2. The reliability was .81, and its test-retest reliability was .96. 3. The criterion-related validity was test the predictive validity and concurrent validity. The predictive validity showed that a significant correlation ( r =.31, p <.01). There was a significant correlation between all the dimensions in the C-SCIB scale, such as internal control ( r =.15, p <.05), external control ( r =.30, p <.01), and support ( r =.21, p <.01). Furthermore, the concurrent validity showed a significant and moderate correlation ( r =.50, p < .01).Conclusion The C-SCIB scale was proven to have good reliability and validity, and thus can be used to measure the degree of support and the locus of control perceived by expectant women during labor.