Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale: measuring parenting self-efficacy in Portuguese mothers during the first year postpartum

ABSTRACT

Background

The Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale (KPCS) was designed to assess parenting self-efficacy in parents of infants during the first year.

Objective

The aim of this study was to analyse the psychometric characteristics of the KPCS in Portuguese mothers during the first-year postpartum.

Methods

A sample of 383 mothers were recruited at two public outpatient units in Northern Portugal. Mothers completed the KPCS, a sociodemographic questionnaire, and measures of depressive and anxiety symptoms at least one time between two weeks, three, six and 12 months postpartum.

Results

Good fit was found for a factor model with three subscales: parenting, support and child development. The KPCS presented good internal consistency. Regarding the criterion validity of the KPCS, significant effects of mother’s age were found on the development subscale and significant associations were found between mother’s depressive and anxiety symptoms and the KPCS total scale and subscales. Optimal clinical cut-offs were suggested.

Conclusion

Findings provided evidence on the psychometric characteristics of the KPCS which can be used to assess parenting self-efficacy in Portuguese mothers during the first-year postpartum, possibly identifying mothers with low parenting self-efficacy.

KEYWORDS:

• Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale
• parenting self-efficacy
• mothers
• postpartum period
• psychometric characteristics
• anxiety symptoms

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was conducted at the Psychology Research Centre (PSI/01662), School of Psychology, University of Minho, and supported by the Foundation for Science and Technology. This research was also supported by FEDER Funds through the Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade - COMPETE and by National Funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia under the project PTDC/SAU/SAP/116738/2010 and individual grants (SFRH/BD/115048/2016, SFRH/BPD/117597/2016, and SFRH/BD/113005/2015). This study was funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology—FCT (Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education), under the grant (UIDB/05380/2020).