Mother-Generated Index Research Articles

A community evaluation of post-partum quality of life using a locally adapted mother-generated-index: the Delhi Delivery Care (DELCARE) Survey (2009-2011)

ABSTRACT Post-partum quality of life is an inadequately studied and poorly understood outcome of delivery care, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Hence, we evaluated the postpartum quality of life and its clinic-demographic context as part of a 3-stage cluster randomized community survey (DECLARE; covered quality of care as primary outcome) conducted in 2009–2011 in Delhi. In stage 1 of participant selection(sampling), 20 wards (of 150; geographically defined administrative units) were selected using a probability-proportionate-to-size systematic method. In stage 2, one from each income stratum (high, middle, and low; multiple colonies within each ward) was selected from each ward by simple random sampling (total 60 colonies of 2311). In stage 3, a house-to-house survey was conducted to recruit ~1800 recently delivered women for the multidimensional work, which included quality-of-care, cost-of-care, and PPQOL. Among the participants, those with high school or above education were invited to administer the Mother-Generated Index and calculate the primary and secondary index scores (PIS and SIS). A total of 794 (of 857 eligible; 118846 households) women were administered MGI. The mean PIS was 4.6[95 percent CI 4.4–4.7] while the average SIS was 4.0[95 percent CI 3.8–4.2]. The PIS was worse for primiparous vs. multiparous mothers. On multivariate analysis, poorer psychological state, obstetric complications, and premature delivery correlated with poorer QOL scores, while better gestational weight gain, higher age, and labor-pain relief correlated with better QOL scores. The study benchmarks the poor status of post-partum quality-of-life and documents the spectrum, severity, and complexity of its key social, psychological, physical, and demographic determinants.

Can integrating religiosity and spirituality into postpartum care improve the quality of life in women with preeclampsia.

Women with a history of preeclampsia frequently have a lower level of physical well-being and emotional problems. This study aimed to determine the effect of integrating religiosity and spirituality into postpartum care can improve the quality of life in women with preeclampsia. This study was a randomized controlled clinical trial conducted on 40 women with preeclampsia. All eligible participants were allocated to two control and intervention groups using a random blocking method. Data were collected using Mother-Generated Index (MGI) in pre-intervention and 6 weeks later and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and independent t-tests. The significance level was p < 0.05. The mean, Standard deviation (SD) of the total score of MGI before intervention in the intervention group was 5.35 (1.09) which increased to 8.00 (0.50) 6 weeks after intervention. In the control group, the pre-test score of MGI was 5.81 (0.97) which increased to 6.69 (1.37) after 6 weeks of follow-up. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant after the intervention based on an independent t-test (p = 0.001).The mean (SD) of five subscales included Feelings toward herself, Feelings toward the child, Feelings toward her husband and others, Feelings toward sex, and Physical health status after intervention in the intervention group statistically significantly increased compared to the control group (p < 0.011). The integration of spiritual counseling with the educational content of postpartum care had a positive impact on improving the postpartum QoL of women with preeclampsia. For better conclusions, a study with a large sample size needed to be conducted in the future. https://en.irct.ir/user/trial/50832/view, identifier IRCT20150731023423N16.

DOES BREASTFEEDING OR NOT AFFECT A BETTER MATERNAL QUALITY OF LIFE? : LITERATURE REVIEW

Quality of life is important to achieve the best performance of mothers. Maternal quality of life is usually measured by WHOQOL-BREF standards (quality of life of the World Health Organization-BREF), SF-36 (Short-36), or MGI (Mother Generated Index). One factor that affects the maternal quality of life is breastfeeding. The practice of breastfeeding is the mother who is breastfeeding (giving only breast milk) and the mother who is not breastfeeding (with formula milk) as well as seeing the length of breastfeeding time for less than 6 months or more than 6 months. This literature review has research question with PICO standard to get the aim about the correlation between the practice of breastfeeding and maternal quality of life. 466 literatures were obtained from the SCOPUS, Proquest, Google Scholar, PubMed and EBSCOhost databases. Literature screening is done by looking at the inclusion and exclusion criteria that have been set so that 10 literatures will be reviewed. Most of the literature reports that mothers who breastfeed and continue to breastfeed even though only a month has a better quality of life than mothers who did not breastfeed. One study said that breastfeeding causes a decrease in the maternal quality of life, as well as several other studies that found no significant correlation between breastfeeding practices and maternal quality of life. This result can be used as a reference for the health policy to promote breastfeeding and quality of life.

Quality of life of high risk pregnant women during prenatal care.

to analyze the quality of life of high-risk pregnant women. an observational and cross-sectional study, carried out in a tertiary maternity hospital located in Fortaleza, with 276 high-risk pregnant women. A questionnaire was applied containing socioddemographic, clinical and obstetric data and The Mother-Generated Index. Descriptive analyzes were performed using the Jamovi statistical program®, version 0.9. most areas were negatively influenced by pregnancy. "Satisfaction with pregnancy", "family relationship" and "relationship with the partner" obtained the highest means of primary score, while "physical condition/disposition" and "financing" obtained the lowest means. The highest secondary scores were in "satisfaction with pregnancy", "family relationship" and "relationship with the partner", while the lowest were in "financing" and "psychological/emotional". the total primary score mean was 6.03, suggesting a good quality of life. The Mother Generated Index made it possible to identify aspects of life that go beyond pre-formulated assessments of the construct.

Kvalita života ženy v poporodním období - představení dotazníku Mother-Generated Index (MGI)

The period of puerperium is a critical and transformational period in the life of every woman, newborn and new family on a physical, psychological and social level. Study design: Descriptive review study. Goal: The goal of this article is to present the Mother-Generated Index questionnaire, which could be used in the community practice of midwives while nursing women in puerperium. Methods: We used a content document analysis. The documents were searched for in scientific databases, such as EBSCOhost, Science Direct, Pro Quest, Nursing Ovid, Google Scholar, PubMed or Scopus. The search and the processing of available studies were carried out from February to April 2018. The final selection included eight studies that met the criteria. Conclusions: The Mother-Generated Index questionnaire resulted as a valid tool which described the subjectively perceived quality of life of women in puerperium and used mixed sets of methods. It is possible to use it in a trans-cultural environment as well. The questionnaire was translated into Czech in 2014, but the research results of its use in women in puerperium are waiting to be published.

Postnatal quality of life — A content analysis of qualitative results to the Mother-Generated Index

BackgroundThe Mother-Generated Index (MGI) assesses postnatal quality of life (QoL) without providing a predefined checklist, thus offering mothers the opportunity to identify areas of life affected by having a baby. AimTo identify: (a) details and particularities of areas of life affected after childbirth and thus specific domains defining postnatal quality of life; (b) changes in the importance of domains specifying QoL within the first weeks postpartum; and (c) the potential role of cultural differences with regard to the nature of QoL definitions. MethodsProspective, cross-cultural, longitudinal survey. We applied a qualitative content analysis to Mother-Generated Index data collected in Switzerland and Germany using combined deductively and inductively category building. ResultsWomen participated at three days (n=124) and six and a half weeks (n=82) postpartum. Eleven domains were identified, each with several subdomains: ‘physical well-being’ (e.g. fatigue), ‘psychological well-being’ (e.g. happiness, emotional confusion), ‘general well-being’, ‘motherhood’ (e.g. bonding with the baby), ‘family and partnership’ (e.g. time for partner and children), ‘social life’ (e.g. friends, being isolated), ‘everyday life’ (e.g. organisation daily routine), ‘leisure’ (e.g. less time), ‘work life’ (e.g. worries about job), ‘financial issues’ (e.g. less money), and further aspects. The most frequently indicated domains were ‘motherhood’ and ‘family and partnership’. Differences between the stages of assessment and countries were identified. DiscussionMothers faced challenges in defining their new role but welcomed the slowdown in the rhythm of life and experienced overwhelming maternal feelings. ConclusionOur findings suggest that postnatal quality of life is a concept that changes over time and differs between countries.

Maternal predictors related to quality of life in pregnant women in the Northeast of Brazil

BackgroundGestation is a period that can positively or negatively influence the life of a woman in the pregnancy-puerperal cycle. Thus, evaluating the quality of life of this population can redirect the implementation of innovative practices, with the goal of making them more effective and practical or the promotion of humanized care. The present study aimed to evaluate the predictors that influence the health-related quality of life of low-risk pregnant women, as well as to describe the main areas affected in the quality of life of pregnant women.MethodsA correlational, quantitative and cross-sectional study was carried out in two public units that provide prenatal care services and a private unit in the city of Fortaleza, a municipality in the Northeast of Brazil. The sample consisted of 261 pregnant women who were interviewed from September to November 2014. The collection instruments were a questionnaire covering sociodemographic, obstetric and quality of life variables, in addition to the Brazilian version of the Mother-Generated Index (MGI). The data were compiled and analyzed through the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 20.0. A descriptive analysis was performed through the application of Pearson’s chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test and one-way ANOVA. Maternal predictors for the quality of life of pregnant woman were identified through a multivariate analysis/multiple regression.ResultsThe response rate was 100%, corresponding to 261 respondents. Occupation, parity, partner support, marital status and persons with whom the women live were the predictors that positively interfered in the quality of life of pregnant women. In contrast, gestational age, type of housing, occupation, use of illicit drugs, non-receipt of partner support and maternal age were the predictors that negatively influenced quality of life.ConclusionOur results indicate that happiness to become a mother and body image were areas with the greatest positive and negative influence on health-related quality of life, which suggests being relevant aspects in the planning and implementation of actions aimed at its improvement.

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quality of life issues are central to maternal health and well-being. Within the context of a study examining postnatal quality of life, we set out to translate into Brazilian Portuguese the Mother-Generated Index and ensure its cross-cultural adaption for use in a Brazilian context.the Mother-Generated Index, a subjective quality of life tool, underwent a validated process of translation and cultural adaptation: synthesis of two independently translated versions, back-translation and review by an expert committee was followed by testing of the preliminary tool with 30 mothers.community-based study in city in north-eastern Brazil.30 postpartum mothers, interviewed approximately 30 days after birth.while the mothers understood the concept of identifying and scoring quality of life aspects, many did not grasp the concept behind the use of ‘spending points’ to produce a relative ranking of these aspects. We resolved this by giving the mothers ‘spending beans’ instead; beans are a regional food staple. This use of a physical ‘currency’ solved the problem.this modified approach was ratified by the committee of experts and used with success on a further sample of 91 mothers. The whole process aimed to ensure semantic equivalence of the translated tool, and following this process we concluded that face validity of the Brazilian Portuguese Mother-Generated Index was good. While considerable resources are required to ensure a robust process of translation and adaptation, this is necessary if valid and reliable tools are to be produced. Implications. We conclude that the Mother-Generated Index is a valid tool to measure quality of life among Brazilian postpartum mothers, as it allows a simple and understandable way of assessing the various dimensions involved in their quality of life. Moreover, the Mother-Generated Index can provide healthcare professionals the opportunity to become aware of all significant aspects of a woman׳s life after childbirth.

The feasibility and acceptability of using the Mother-Generated Index (MGI) as a Patient Reported Outcome Measure in a randomised controlled trial of maternity care.

BackgroundUsing patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) to assess Quality of Life (QoL) is well established, but commonly-used PROM item-sets do not necessarily capture what all respondents consider important. Measuring complex constructs is particularly difficult in randomised controlled trials (RCTs). The Mother-Generated Index (MGI) is a validated antenatal and postnatal QoL instrument in which the variables and scores are completely respondent-driven. This paper reports on the feasibility and acceptability of the MGI in an RCT, and compares the resulting variables and QoL scores with more commonly used instruments.MethodsThe single-page MGI was included at the end of a ten page questionnaire pack and posted to the RCT participants at baseline (28–32 weeks’ gestation) and follow-up (six weeks postnatal). Feasibility and acceptability were assessed by ease of administration, data entry and completion rates. Variables cited by women were analysed thematically. MGI QoL scores were compared with outcomes from the EQ-5D-3 L; Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale; Satisfaction With Life Scale; and State Trait Anxiety Inventory.ResultsSix hundred and seventy eight pregnant women returned the pack at baseline; 668 completed the MGI (98.5 %); 383/400 returns at follow up included a completed MGI (95.7 %). Quantitative data were scanned into SPSS using a standard data scanning system, and were largely error-free; qualitative data were entered manually. The variables recorded by participants on the MGI forms incorporated many of those in the comparison instruments, and other outcomes commonly used in intrapartum trials, but they also revealed a wider range of issues affecting their quality of life. These included financial and work-related worries; moving house; and concerns over family illness and pets. The MGI scores demonstrated low-to-moderate correlation with other tools (all r values p < .01).ConclusionsWithout face-to-face explanation and at the end of a long questionnaire, the MGI was feasible to use, and acceptable to RCT participants. It allowed individual participants to include issues that were important to them, but which are not well captured by existing tools. The MGI unites the explanatory power of qualitative research with the comparative power of quantitative designs, is inexpensive to administer, and requires minimal linguistic and conceptual translation.Trial registrationISRCTN27575146 (date assigned 23 March 2011)

Translation and cultural adaptation of the Mother-Generated Index into Brazilian Portuguese: A postnatal quality of life study

Objectivequality of life issues are central to maternal health and well-being. Within the context of a study examining postnatal quality of life, we set out to translate into Brazilian Portuguese the Mother-Generated Index and ensure its cross-cultural adaption for use in a Brazilian context. Designthe Mother-Generated Index, a subjective quality of life tool, underwent a validated process of translation and cultural adaptation: synthesis of two independently translated versions, back-translation and review by an expert committee was followed by testing of the preliminary tool with 30 mothers. Settingscommunity-based study in city in north-eastern Brazil. Participants30 postpartum mothers, interviewed approximately 30 days after birth. Findingswhile the mothers understood the concept of identifying and scoring quality of life aspects, many did not grasp the concept behind the use of ‘spending points’ to produce a relative ranking of these aspects. We resolved this by giving the mothers ‘spending beans’ instead; beans are a regional food staple. This use of a physical ‘currency’ solved the problem. Discussionthis modified approach was ratified by the committee of experts and used with success on a further sample of 91 mothers. The whole process aimed to ensure semantic equivalence of the translated tool, and following this process we concluded that face validity of the Brazilian Portuguese Mother-Generated Index was good. While considerable resources are required to ensure a robust process of translation and adaptation, this is necessary if valid and reliable tools are to be produced. Implications. We conclude that the Mother-Generated Index is a valid tool to measure quality of life among Brazilian postpartum mothers, as it allows a simple and understandable way of assessing the various dimensions involved in their quality of life. Moreover, the Mother-Generated Index can provide healthcare professionals the opportunity to become aware of all significant aspects of a woman׳s life after childbirth.

Postnatal Quality of Life, Depressive Symptoms, and Social Support Among Women in Southern India

Evaluation of postnatal quality of life (QOL) has remained a poorly researched area in India. The present cross-sectional study assessed postnatal QOL, using the Mother Generated Index (MGI) and its associated risk factors, and was conducted during January–March 2013 among 274 mothers, 6–8 weeks postnatally. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to evaluate sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics and social support. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and QOL using the MGI. The vast majority (90.1 percent) of respondents in our study had a primary MGI score <5, those with significantly higher prevalence of physical problems and psychological distress. A total of 39.8 percent of respondents were screened as having other (not major) depressive symptoms and 4.7 percent as having major depressive symptoms. Multiple regression analysis revealed that age (β = 0.033, p = .018) and socioeconomic status (β = 0.156, p < .001) were significantly positively associated with QOL, while increased depressive symptom scores (β = −0.075, p < .001) were significantly negatively associated with QOL. A wide spectrum of QOL aspects were reported, including physical, emotional, social, and economic concerns by the mothers. Prevention, evaluation, and treatment of postnatal depressive symptoms and impaired QOL are warranted, taking into account the role of various biopsychosocial risk factors and specific concerns raised by the mothers.

Cultural differences in postnatal quality of life among German-speaking women - a prospective survey in two countries.

BackgroundAssessment of quality of life after childbirth is an important health-outcome measurement for new mothers and is of special interest in midwifery. The Mother-Generated Index (MGI) is a validated instrument to assess postnatal quality of life. The tool has not been applied for making a cross-cultural comparison before. This study investigated (a) responses to the MGI in German-speaking women in Germany and Switzerland; and (b) associations between MGI scores on the one hand and maternity and midwifery care on the other.MethodsA two-stage survey was conducted in two rural hospitals 10 km apart, on opposite sides of the German-Swiss border. The questionnaires included the MGI and questions on socio-demographics, physical and mental health and maternity care, and were distributed during the first days after birth and six weeks postpartum. Parametric and non-parametric tests were computed with the statistical programme SPSS.ResultsA total of 129 questionnaires were returned an average of three days after birth and 83 in the follow-up after seven weeks. There were no statistically significant differences in the MGI scores between the German and the Swiss women (p = 0.22). Significantly more favourable MGI scores were found associated with more adequate information during pregnancy (p = 0.02), a more satisfactory birth experience (p < 0.01), epidural anaesthesia (p < 0.01), more information (p = 0.01) and better support (p = 0.02) during the time in hospital and less disturbed sleep (p < 0.01). Significantly lower MGI scores were associated with the presence of a private doctor during birth (p = 0.01) and with exclusive breastfeeding during the first postnatal days (p = 0.04).ConclusionThe MGI scores of these German-speaking women were higher than those in other studies reported previously. Thus the tool may be able to detect differences in postnatal quality of life among women with substantially divergent cultural backgrounds. Shortcomings in maternity and midwifery care were detected, as for example the inadequate provision of information during pregnancy, a lack of individualised postpartum care during the hospital stay and insufficient support for exclusively breastfeeding mothers. The MGI is an appropriate instrument for maternity care outcome measurement in cross-cultural comparison research.

Translation and validation of the German version of the Mother-Generated Index and its application during the postnatal period

Objectivethe Mother-Generated Index (MGI) is a validated tool to assess postnatal quality of life. It is usually administered several weeks or months after birth and correlates with indices of post partum mood states and physical complaints. The instrument had not been translated into German before or validated for use among German-speaking women, nor have the results of the tool been assessed specifically for the administration directly after birth. This paper aims to describe the systematic translation process of the MGI into German and to assess the convergent validity of the German version of the instrument directly after birth and seven weeks post partum. Designprospective two-stage survey. Settingtwo rural hospitals in the south of Germany and in the north of Switzerland. Participantsall women giving birth between 1st October and 15th December 2012 with sufficient knowledge of German and whose babies were not referred to a neonatal care unit; 226 women were eligible to participate. Measurement instrumentstwo questionnaires including questions relating to socio-demographic factors and perinatal care, and incorporating the MGI, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Postnatal Morbidity Index (PMI). All instruments were subjected to forward and back translation and pilot-tested; the first questionnaire was then administered in the first two days after birth and the second six weeks post partum. Parametric and non-parametric tests were computed using SPSS. Findings129 surveys were returned an average of three days after birth and 83 after seven weeks. Higher postnatal quality of life showed a significant correlation with a lower anxiety and depression score (p<0.01), fewer maternal physical complaints (p<0.05) and more favourable baby adjective scores (p<0.05) after birth. Significant associations were found between MGI scores and sufficient help (p=0.03) as well as ability to cope at home (p<0.01). MGI scores three days and seven weeks after birth correlated highly significantly and positively (p<0.001). Key conclusionsconvergent validity of the MGI with the HADS and the PMI suggests that the German version of the MGI is a valid indicator of physical and emotional post partum well-being. Implication for practicethe German version of the MGI can be used in the post partum period to identify women whose quality of life is impaired during the first days after birth, in order to initiate extended midwifery care and referral if necessary.

Cross‐cultural adaptation and translation of a quality of life tool for new mothers: a methodological and experiential account from six countries

To examine the challenges and solutions encountered in the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of an English language quality of life tool in India, China, Iran, Portugal, Brazil, and Poland. Those embarking on research involving translation and cross-cultural adaptation must address certain practical and conceptual issues. These include instrument choice, linguistic factors, and cultural or philosophical differences, which may render an instrument inappropriate, even when expertly translated. Publication bias arises when studies encountering difficulties do not admit to these, or are not published at all. As an educative guide to the potential pitfalls involved in the cross-cultural adaptation process, this article reports the conceptual, linguistic, and methodological experiences of researchers in six countries, who translated and adapted the Mother-Generated Index, a quality of life tool originally developed in English. Principal investigator experience from six stand-alone studies (two published) ranging from postgraduate research to citywide surveys. DISCUSSION/IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: This analysis of a series of stand-alone cross-cultural studies provides lessons about how conceptual issues, such as the uniqueness of perceived quality of life and the experience of new motherhood, can be addressed. This original international approach highlights practical lessons relating to instrument choice, and the resources available to researchers with different levels of experience. Although researchers may be confident of effective translation, conceptual and practical difficulties may be more problematic. Instrument choice is crucial. Researchers must negotiate adequate resources for cross-cultural research, including time, translation facilities, and expert advice about conceptual issues.

Maternal quality of life assessment: the feasibility of antenatal–postnatal follow‐up using the Mother‐Generated Index

Introduction. The Mother‐Generated Index (MGI) is a quantitative/qualitative postnatal quality‐of‐life tool. This study examined the feasibility of assessing changes in quality of life from late pregnancy to the postnatal period. Design. Attempted 6‐week postnatal follow‐up of 35 women who had completed the MGI and General Health Questionnaire antenatally. Quality of life comments were assessed thematically. Quantitative data were analysed in Excel and SPSS. Stepwise regression assessed the feasibility of identifying factors predictive of postnatal MGI score. Findings. Nineteen participants responded postnatally (56%). Quality of life scores rose for some and fell for others. Whereas 38% of comments antenatally had been positive, this rose to 51% postnatally. During pregnancy, ‘Tiredness’, ‘Looking forward to baby’, ‘Aches and pains’ and ‘Work’ predominated; postnatally, this changed to ‘Feelings about baby’, ‘Sense of self’, ‘Relationship with partner’, and ‘Adaptation to new role’. The regression analysis suggested that antenatal MGI, parity and degree of perineal trauma may be predictive of postnatal MGI score. Conclusions . This small exploratory study suggests that postnatal follow‐up using the MGI is feasible. This approach contributes towards a more holistic understanding of the pregnant woman/mother and her unique and evolving situation.

An exploratory study to evaluate the utility of an adapted Mother Generated Index (MGI) in assessment of postpartum quality of life in India

BackgroundGiven the postulated advantages of mother generated index (MGI) in incorporating the patients' viewpoint and in the absence of a validated India specific postpartum quality of life assessment tool we proposed to evaluate the utility of an adapted Mother-Generated-Index in assessing postpartum quality of life (PQOL) in India.MethodsThe study was integrated into a community survey conducted in one district of Delhi by two-stage cluster randomized sampling to recruit women who delivered in the last 6 months. PQOL was assessed using MGI. Physical morbidity and Edinburgh- postnatal-depression-scale (EPDS) were also recorded for validation purposes.ResultsAll subjects (249 of 282 eligible) participating in the survey were approached for the MGI evaluation which could be administered to 195 subjects due to inadequate comprehension or refusal of consent. A trend towards lower scores in lower socioeconomic stratum was observed (Primary index score-2.9, 3.7 and 4.0 in lower, middle and higher strata; Secondary Index Score-2.6, 3.2 and 3.0 in lower, middle and higher strata). 59.4% mothers had scores suggestive of possible depression (EPDS; n = 172). Primary index score had a good correlation with validator scores like EPDS (p = 0.024) and number of physical problems (p = 0.022) while the secondary index score was only associated with EPDS score (p = 0.020).ConclusionThe study documents that the MGI, with its inherent advantages, is a potentially useful tool for postpartum quality of life evaluation in India especially in the absence of an alternative pre-validated tool.

COMPUTERIZED AMBULATORY ASSESSMENT OF QUALITY OF LIFE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

to assess whether the Mother-generated Index (MGI), a validated postnatal tool, was acceptable during late pregnancy; minor modifications to the wording of the existing tool were made. The MGI allows for qualitative and quantitative assessment.face-to-face interviews were conducted by a single researcher using the modified MGI and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30). The women wrote up to eight comments describing the most important areas of their lives, indicated whether these were positive, negative or neither, and then scored and ranked them.two health centres in East Scotland, during a scheduled antenatal clinic visit.35 women (20 nulliparous and 15 parous) in the third trimester of pregnancy.interviews lasted for 15–25 mins and none of the women found the MGI difficult to complete. The mean number of comments was 4.9 (standard deviation 1.1); most were directly related to the pregnancy and some were life issues that remained pertinent during the pregnancy. Face validity was good; criterion validity could not be assessed formally, but the MGI scores and the GHQ-30 scores were well correlated (Pearson r=−0.62; p<0.001). While some comment categories were universally positive (‘looking forward to baby’, ‘relationship with partner’) and others were universally negative (‘tiredness’, ‘aches and pains’), other categories were mixed (e.g. ‘social life’, ‘work’). Women who expected their birth partner to be ‘very helpful’ had significantly higher MGI scores than women without such expectations (t=2.5, degrees of freedom=33; p=0.018).in this comparatively small study, the MGI was acceptable to pregnant women as an assessment tool during late pregnancy. While the sample size precluded definitive statistical evaluation, the apparently logical associations between overall MGI scores and particular comments, and the good correlation between MGI and GHQ-30 scores suggest that the MGI is a feasible tool for use in late pregnancy.holistic care is advocated; this subjective tool allows pregnant women to state what is most important to them, thus avoiding a ‘top-down’ pathological approach. The MGI can help to uncover important quality-of-life issues that may not appear obvious to the midwife, and which may otherwise be missed. A larger study is required for formal evaluation of the quantitative potential of the antenatal MGI.

An exploratory study to assess the acceptability of an antenatal quality-of-life instrument (the Mother-generated Index)

Objective to assess whether the Mother-generated Index (MGI), a validated postnatal tool, was acceptable during late pregnancy; minor modifications to the wording of the existing tool were made. The MGI allows for qualitative and quantitative assessment. Design face-to-face interviews were conducted by a single researcher using the modified MGI and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30). The women wrote up to eight comments describing the most important areas of their lives, indicated whether these were positive, negative or neither, and then scored and ranked them. Setting two health centres in East Scotland, during a scheduled antenatal clinic visit. Participants 35 women (20 nulliparous and 15 parous) in the third trimester of pregnancy. Findings interviews lasted for 15–25 mins and none of the women found the MGI difficult to complete. The mean number of comments was 4.9 (standard deviation 1.1); most were directly related to the pregnancy and some were life issues that remained pertinent during the pregnancy. Face validity was good; criterion validity could not be assessed formally, but the MGI scores and the GHQ-30 scores were well correlated (Pearson r=−0.62; p<0.001). While some comment categories were universally positive (‘looking forward to baby’, ‘relationship with partner’) and others were universally negative (‘tiredness’, ‘aches and pains’), other categories were mixed (e.g. ‘social life’, ‘work’). Women who expected their birth partner to be ‘very helpful’ had significantly higher MGI scores than women without such expectations ( t=2.5, degrees of freedom=33; p=0.018). Key conclusions in this comparatively small study, the MGI was acceptable to pregnant women as an assessment tool during late pregnancy. While the sample size precluded definitive statistical evaluation, the apparently logical associations between overall MGI scores and particular comments, and the good correlation between MGI and GHQ-30 scores suggest that the MGI is a feasible tool for use in late pregnancy. Implications for practice holistic care is advocated; this subjective tool allows pregnant women to state what is most important to them, thus avoiding a ‘top-down’ pathological approach. The MGI can help to uncover important quality-of-life issues that may not appear obvious to the midwife, and which may otherwise be missed. A larger study is required for formal evaluation of the quantitative potential of the antenatal MGI.

Postnatal quality of life assessment: validation of the Mother‐Generated Index

Quality of life is multifactorial, but may not be adequately assessed using existing validated health measures. The Mother-Generated Index, a subjective tool to measure postnatal quality of life, was assessed in a study of 102 women in Tayside, Scotland. They specified the most important areas of their lives having had a baby, and scored these. The Index showed good correlation with established measures of physical and psychological wellbeing, and accurately tracked attitudes towards the baby and the partner. Face, criterion and construct validity were all demonstrated. As both content and scoring are subjectively determined, the Index encourages a holistic assessment.

Postnatal quality of life assessment: validation of the Mother-Generated Index

Quality of life is multifactorial, but may not be adequately assessed using existing validated health measures. The Mother-Generated Index, a subjective tool to measure postnatal quality of life, was assessed in a study of 102 women in Tayside, Scotland. They specified the most important areas of their lives having had a baby, and scored these. The Index showed good correlation with established measures of physical and psychological wellbeing, and accurately tracked attitudes towards the baby and the partner. Face, criterion and construct validity were all demonstrated. As both content and scoring are subjectively determined, the Index encourages a holistic assessment.