Peer-reviewed article
Psychometric evaluation of the Birth Trauma Scale among Iranian women.
Minoo Ranjbar, Mahnaz Shahnazi, Sakineh Mohammad-Alizadeh-Charandabi, Fatemeh Abbasalizadeh, Ali Reza Shafiee et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study validated a Persian-language version of the Birth Trauma Scale for measuring psychological trauma from childbirth among Iranian women. The researchers tested the scale with 311 postpartum women and found it to be valid and reliable, with strong psychometric properties including high content validity and internal consistency. Birth-related psychological trauma can harm maternal mental health, family relationships, and child development. The validated scale can now be used to identify and support Iranian women experiencing birth trauma.
Key points
- Content Validity Index was 0.98 and Content Validity Ratio was 0.97, indicating strong validity
- The four-factor structure explained 59% of the variance in exploratory factor analysis
- Cronbach's alpha was 0.91, indicating high internal consistency
- Test-retest reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient) was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.75-0.95)
- Birth trauma can negatively affect maternal mental health, family relationships, and child development
Limitations
This study validates a measurement tool but does not evaluate an intervention or treatment for birth trauma. It cannot tell us about prevalence rates of birth trauma in Iran, effective treatments, or how the scale performs in clinical practice settings.
Abstract
UNLABELLED: Birth-related psychological trauma refers to mental health disorders resulting from negative experiences during labor and delivery, and it can negatively affect the mother's mental health, family relationships, and even child development. OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the psychometric properties of the Birth Trauma Scale among Iranian women. METHODS: This study involved 311 women, 4 to 8 weeks postpartum, selected through cluster random sampling from August 2024 to December 2025. The validity of the Birth Trauma Scale was assessed in five stages: content validity and face validity (both quantitatively and qualitatively), structural validity using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, and reliability determined through internal consistency and test-retest reliability. RESULTS: In this study, the Content Validity Index and Content Validity Ratio of the Birth Trauma Scale were 0.98 and 0.97, respectively. The tool's four-factor structure in the exploratory factor analysis explained 59% of the variance. The model's fit indices in the confirmatory factor analysis supported its validity (Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = 0.078, Tucker-Lewis Index = 0.98, Comparative Fit Index = 0.98, normed chi-square= 3.9). Furthermore, Cronbach's alpha was 0.91, and the intra-class correlation coefficient with a 95% confidence interval was 0.88 (0.75 to 0.95). CONCLUSIONS: The Persian version of the Birth Trauma Scale is a valid and reliable instrument for evaluating psychological birth trauma in the Iranian population. CODE NUMBER: IR.TBZMED.REC.1402.945.