Principal components analysis of the Perceptions of Labour and Delivery Scale and revised scoring criteria

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the component structure of the Perceptions of Labour and Delivery Scale (PLDS). One hundred and seven women completed the PLDS. Inspection of the scree plot, following principal components analysis, revealed three components above the marked elbow. These were characterised as staff support during delivery, pain and distress during delivery, and fear for safety of self and baby. On the basis of these results, we propose revised scoring criteria for the PLDS which promises to be useful for practitioners and researchers investigating which aspects of perception are most predictive of later psychological problems.