Validation of the COVID-19 Fear Scale modified for application during the perinatal period

Abstract

Purpose

The COVID-19 Fear Scale (FCV-19S) allows screening in general population; however, there is no specific instrument in our population for screening in the perinatal period that considers fear related with COVID-19 and offspring well-being. We aimed to validate the FCV-19S modified for application during the perinatal period.

Materials and methods

Analytical, cross-sectional design. After signing consent, women 18–45 years were included. Internal consistency was calculated with Cronbach’s alpha, external validity using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), factorial analysis and intraclass correlation coefficient for re-test.

Results

The sample included 178 women, mean age 31.04 ± 5.9. We obtained internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha = 0.873 (95%CI, 0.842–0.899). Spearman’s Rho coefficient was 0.207 (p= .013). All the elements were statistically significant for the polychoric correlation (p<.001). Reliability test–retest with intraclass correlation was 0.873.

Conclusions

The version of FCV-19S modified with eight items is a valid measurement instrument for application during the perinatal period, showing adequate internal consistency and external validity with HADS as measure of concurrence to identify anxiety related with COVID-19 during the perinatal period.

Keywords:

• FCV-19
• perinatal
• validation
• COVID-19
• HADS

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Ms. Susan Drier-Jonas for her help with the manuscript.

Ethics approval: This is a secondary analysis of the research protocol titled “Effect of an educational intervention for the prevention and handling of overweight and obesity during the first 18 months of life in offspring and mothers with and without gestational diabetes”, with registration number R2018-785-079, before the Research Ethics Committee and the institution National Committee for Scientific Research. That study is registered in clinicaltrials.gov under number NCT04493177.

Consent to participate: All subjects signed an informed consent before participating.

Consent for publication: Not applicable.

Authors contributions

All authors (1) made substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis or interpretation of data; or the creation of new software used in the work; (2) drafted the work or revised it critically for important intellectual content; (3) approved the version to be published; and (4) agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Data availability statement

Data will be made available upon written request.

Code availability: Not applicable.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the Fondo de Investigación en Salud IMSS under Grant FIS/IMSS/PROT/ESP/1851; Fundación Gonzalo Río Arronte as Project S.634.