Translation and validation of the Dutch version of the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R)

ABSTRACT

Background

Recent observations suggest birth satisfaction may be significantly associated with postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder (PP-PTSD). The Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R) is increasingly used Internationally as a short, valid and reliable multi-dimensional measure of birth experience. The current study sought to develop a Dutch version of the BSS-R (D-BSS-R) for clinical and research application in the Netherlands.

Methods

Post-translation, a cross-sectional design with an embedded between-subjects component was used to evaluate key indices of validity and reliability of the D-BSS-R in a purposive sampled cohort of 244 Dutch-speaking women in the Netherlands. Confirmatory factor analysis, divergent, convergent and known-groups discriminant validity were evaluated as was the internal consistency of the measure.

Results

The D-BSS-R was found to be a generally valid and reliable measure of birth experience with the key measurement characteristics of the original English-language measure transferring well to the Dutch context. Statistically significant negative correlations were observed between all D-BSS-R sub-scales and a validated measure of PTSD.

Conclusions

The D-BSS-R represents a valid and reliable measure of birth experience suitable and appropriate for use in the Netherlands. The study corroborates previous suggestions of linkage between birth satisfaction and PP-PTSD using a robust and diagnostically valid measure of trauma.

KEYWORDS:

• Birth satisfaction
• birth experience
• scales
• psychometrics
• trauma

Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of all those who took part in our study. The authors are also extremely grateful for the comments, advice and suggestions of two expert reviewers on an earlier version of this manuscript. There comments were both encouraging and thought-provoking in equal measure which made responding to the issues raised a pleasure.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. This analysis was undertaken at the suggestion of a reviewer of the original manuscript and thus is post-hoc to the original statistical analysis plan. We are grateful to the reviewer for the suggestion and the additional insights this analysis yielded.