Psychometric evaluation of the birth participation scale for fathers (BPS-F): a methodological study

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BACKGROUND: The participation of fathers in childbirth contributes primarily to the improvement of maternal and infant health and, consequently, to public health. To increase the participation of expectant fathers in childbirth, an appropriate screening tool is needed. This study was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of the "Birth Participation Scale" developed for expectant fathers. METHODS: The research involved a total of 250 expectant fathers who submitted applications to the Gynecology and Obstetrics Polyclinic of a university hospital. After translating the scale into a methodological and cross-sectional investigation, psychometric properties were evaluated. The validity of the scale was assessed by evaluating the content, construct, and face validity. Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's Omega, Spearman-Brown split-half and test-retest reliability coefficients were calculated to determine the item's reliability. RESULTS: The average content validity index (CVI) values for relevance, clarity, and simplicity were found to be 0.99 for each. The impact score of the items was 1.5 and above. A factor structure with 17 items, and 3 sub-dimensions was obtained through Exploratory Factor Analysis. The factor loadings of the items ranged between 0.55 and 0.85. The validity of this structure was assessed by Confirmatory Factor Analysis and the model fit indices were "acceptable" or "good fit". The reliability coefficients for Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's Omega, and Spearman-Brown split half were 0.89, 0.92, and 0.81, respectively. Moreover, the test-retest correlation was 0.96. CONCLUSIONS: The Birth Participation Scale for Fathers has a suitable validity and reliability for assessing fathers' participation in birth. It is a simple reporting tool that healthcare professionals in Turkey can easily implement.