Polish Adaptation of the Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire-Revised 2 for All Pregnant Women.

Anna Michalik,Jolanta Olszewska,Agata Zdun-Ryżewska,Agnieszka Czerwińska-Osipiak,Anja C Huizink,Dagmara Klasa-Mazurkiewicz,Lucyna Wójcicka,Michał Krzemiński

doi:10.3390/healthcare9070917

Abstract

Pregnancy-related anxiety (PrA) is a specific type of anxiety characteristic of the perinatal period. PrA can affect pregnancy and birth. However, no validated tool exists to measure PrA in Polish obstetric practice. The aim of this study was to translate the Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire—Revised 2 (PRAQ-R2) into Polish and to evaluate its reliability and factorial and construct validity. This study was conducted in Poland as an online questionnaire in April 2020 and included 175 healthy women. To validate the PRAQ-R2, we used standardized tools for the measurement of general anxiety: the modified Visual Analog Scale (VAS), the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Scale reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Concurrent validity was evaluated by calculating Spearman’s rho correlation coefficients. Statistical analyses were performed using R ver. 4.0.2. Values for comparative fit index >0.90, Tucker–Lewis index >0.90, and root mean square error of approximation <0.08 indicated acceptable model fit, confirming the reliability of the three-factor structure of the translation. The subscales and total scores had good consistency (α > 0.7), and convergent validity was demonstrated. The PRAQ-R2 as translated into Polish represents the first validated tool in Poland to measure PrA for all pregnant women.

Highlights

Pregnant women tend to display unique types and intensities of emotional responses, and recently, researchers who study perinatal care have emphasized the negative impacts associated with prenatal maternal anxiety on pregnancy and birth outcomes
The proper translation of the Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire—Revised 2 (PRAQ-R2) for a Polish population is crucial to recognize a high level of pregnancy-related anxiety (PrA) and to classify a pregnant woman into a high-risk group to provide her with specialized care
The conducted research shows that the PRAQ-R2 is an appropriately valid and reliable tool ready for use with all Polish pregnant women regardless of parity

Summary

Introduction

Pregnant women tend to display unique types and intensities of emotional responses, and recently, researchers who study perinatal care have emphasized the negative impacts associated with prenatal maternal anxiety on pregnancy and birth outcomes. The terms pregnancy-related anxiety (PrA) and pregnancy-specific anxiety (PSA) were introduced into clinical practice to highlight the distinct nature of anxiety experienced during pregnancy These terms describe the specific types of anxiety that are experienced during the prenatal period associated with the woman’s own health, concern about her appearance, the health and development of the fetus, the course of the forthcoming delivery, and early parenthood [1,2,3,4]. Available reports have indicated that high PrA and FOC rates may be correlated with an increased risk of premature labor, low birth weights, and negative impacts on the neurological and behavioral development of neonates [6,16,17,18]. A relationship has been noted between PrA and unhealthy behaviors during pregnancy (e.g., excessive weight gain during pregnancy) [7]

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