Adapting the revised prenatal coping inventory (NuPCI) for use in a Spanish population

Abstract

Objective: To adapt the Revised Prenatal Coping Inventory (NuPCI) for the evaluation of prenatal stress coping strategies utilised by Spanish women.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed to evaluate the psychometric properties of NuPCI adapted for a Spanish population. Two hundred and sixty one puerperium women completed the NuPCI at the time of discharge after childbirth. Instrument construct validity was evaluated using subscale item correlations. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s α test.

Results: Items from each subscale (Preparation, Avoidance and Spiritual – Positive Coping) were significantly correlated with the global result (p < .001). The internal reliability of the NuPCI demonstrated suitable values for each of the three coping strategies (α > 0.7). The most frequently used coping strategy was Preparation and the least used was Avoidance. Utilisation of the coping strategies with Preparation decreased with increasing parity (p = .002) and greater prenatal stress was associated with increased use of the Avoidance coping strategy (p < .001).

Conclusions: The NuPCI adapted for Spanish women demonstrates good psychometric properties for evaluating the three types of prenatal stress coping strategies: Preparation, Avoidance and Spiritual – Positive Coping. Results were similar to those presented by the instrument in its English language version.

Keywords:

• Pregnancy
• psychological adaptation
• psychological stress
• validation studies

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all the women who participated in this study.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest with regards to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.

Current knowledge on the subject:

• Maternity is an important event that is characterised by physiological, social and emotional changes in the lives of the mother, her partner, and her family. In response to these changes, pregnant women often experience states of elation and joy, mixed with feelings of anxiety and tension.

• The existing literature demonstrates a relationship between maternal stress and adverse pregnancy outcomes, including prematurity and low birth weight. There is evidence that psychosocial conditions during maternity have a lifelong effect on the cognition, emotions, health and behaviours of the child.

• Whilst pregnancy may be the cause of considerable stress, the effects of the stressful stimuli may be mitigated or even avoided by the use of coping mechanisms and strategies.

What this study adds:

• The adaptation of the questionnaire to a Spanish-speaking population facilitates its application among Spanish-speaking women, thereby increasing current knowledge on maternal stress coping mechanisms in Spanish culture.

• It is the first valid instrument for the evaluation of the prenatal stress coping strategies used by Spanish women.

• The results of the psychometric properties were comparable with previous studies.

Additional information

Funding

No external funding was used to finance this research.