Psychometric properties of the European Portuguese version of the Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire in pregnant women

The researchers’ aim is to examine the psychometric properties of the European Portuguese version of the Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire version A (WDEQ-A). Data from 669 pregnant Portuguese women was collected between June and October of 2019. From the initial 33-item Portuguese version of the WDEQ-A, a 27-item instrument was developed. Five-factor solution explained 63.8% of the total variance. The factors defined by the researchers were: fear/lack of self-efficacy, loneliness, negative appraisal, lack of positive anticipation and concern for the child. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.934. The European Portuguese version of the WDEQ-A is a reliable and valid tool to measure fear of childbirth on both nulliparous and multiparous women and can be a useful tool for cross-cultural research. Moreover, researchers support the use of this tool in clinical practice to recognize and address fearful women during prenatal period.