Psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the London Measure of Unplanned Pregnancy in women with pregnancies ending in birth.

Joline Goossens,Geraldine Barrett,Ilse Delbaere,Ann Van Hecke,Dimitri Beeckman,Sofie Verhaeghe,Cassandra Nichole Spracklen

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0194033

Abstract

ObjectiveTo evaluate the psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the London Measure of Unplanned Pregnancy in women with pregnancies ending in birth.MethodsA two-phase psychometric evaluation design was set-up. Phase I comprised the translation from English into Dutch and pretesting with 6 women using cognitive interviews. In phase II, the reliability and validity of the Dutch version of the LMUP was assessed in 517 women giving birth recently. Reliability (internal consistency) was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, inter-item correlations, and corrected item-total correlations. Construct validity was assessed using principal components analysis and hypothesis testing. Exploratory Mokken scale analysis was carried out.Results517 women aged 15–45 completed the Dutch version of the LMUP. Reliability testing showed acceptable internal consistency (alpha = 0.74, positive inter-item correlations between all items, all corrected item-total correlations >0.20). Validity testing confirmed the unidimensional structure of the scale and all hypotheses were confirmed. The overall Loevinger’s H coefficient was 0.57, representing a ‘strong’ scale.ConclusionThe Dutch version of the LMUP is a reliable and valid measure that can be used in the Dutch-speaking population in Belgium to assess pregnancy planning. Future research is necessary to assess the stability of the Dutch version of the LMUP, and to evaluate its psychometric properties in women with abortions.

Highlights

Unplanned pregnancies have been associated with more unhealthy perinatal behavior and an increased risk of several adverse antenatal and birth outcomes, including spontaneous abortion, congenital anomalies, preterm birth, and low birth weight [1,2,3,4,5,6]
The Dutch version of the London Measure of Unplanned Pregnancy (LMUP) is a reliable and valid measure that can be used in the Dutch-speaking population in Belgium to assess pregnancy planning
This complexity is rarely captured in conventional survey questions, and continuous or multi-item measures might be more appropriate to measure the construct of pregnancy intention or planning [17, 18, 27, 28]

Summary

Methods

A two-phase psychometric evaluation design was set-up. Phase I comprised the translation from English into Dutch and pretesting with 6 women using cognitive interviews. In phase II, the reliability and validity of the Dutch version of the LMUP was assessed in 517 women giving birth recently. Reliability (internal consistency) was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, inter-item correlations, and corrected item-total correlations. Construct validity was assessed using principal components analysis and hypothesis testing. Exploratory Mokken scale analysis was carried out

Results

Conclusion

Introduction

Discussion