ORIGINAL PAPER
Translation and validation of the Polish-language version of the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R) and its relationship to the type of delivery and the baby’s Apgar score
 
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1
Institute of Psychology, University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
 
2
Department of Midwifery, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Warsaw, Poland
 
3
Department of Quality of Life Research, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
 
4
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Care, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK
 
5
Institute for Health and Wellbeing, University of Suffolk, Ipswich, UK
 
 
Submission date: 2024-01-01
 
 
Final revision date: 2024-03-14
 
 
Acceptance date: 2024-03-19
 
 
Online publication date: 2024-06-19
 
 
Corresponding author
Paulina Pawlicka   

Institute of Psychology, University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
 
 
 
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Background:
Maternal birth experience is being increasingly recognised as a key clinical outcome parameter. The Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R) is a short self-report measure designed to assess birth experience. The current investigation sought to trans-late the BSS-R into Polish and validate this version of the BSS-R (PL-BSS-R).

Participants and procedure:
The BSS-R was translated into Polish by an expert panel using forward and backward translation. A complex within-subjects design with an embedded between-subjects component was used to determine the key psychometric characteristics of the PL-BSS-R. Two hundred ninety-four Polish-speaking women in Poland completed the follow-up component of the study where the PL-BSS-R was administered. The PL-BSS-R measurement properties were examined using confirmatory factor analysis, divergent, convergent validity analysis, internal consistency appraisal and investigation of known-groups discriminant characteristics.

Results:
The PL-BSS-R was found to have generally very good measurement properties and to be equivalent to the original English-language version across key validity indices. The PL-BBS-R was found to be significantly correlated with neonatal physical health immediately postpartum and differed across delivery modes.

Conclusions:
The PL-BSS-R is a psychometrically robust measure of birth experience appropriate for clinical and research use within Po-land. Important associations were noted between subjective maternal birth experience and objective measures of neonatal physical health, indicating a critically important future research direction.

 
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