Cross-cultural invariance of the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R): comparing UK and US samples

Abstract

Objective: This research sought to test the measurement invariance of the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R) across United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) samples. Multiple-group measurement was tested and latent means analysis compared levels of birth satisfaction across the samples. Method: Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), data previously collected from 409 mothers (181 US mothers; 228 UK mothers) were used to examine the multiple-group measurement invariance of the BSS-R across US and UK samples. Results: A correlated factors BSS-R model demonstrated partial measurement invariance. US mothers had significantly lower birth satisfaction levels on the three BSS-R subscales. Conclusions: This research demonstrates that the BSS-R is a robust tool that can be used to reliably measure women’s birth satisfaction within and across the US and UK.

Keywords:

• Childbirth
• birth satisfaction
• measurement invariance

Acknowledgements

We thank G. Leonard Burns, PhD, and Craig D. Parks, PhD, for assistance with invariance analyses and for observations that greatly improved the manuscript.