Assessing the Psychometric and Language Equivalency of the Chinese Versions of the Index of Nausea, Vomiting and Retching, and the Prenatal Self-evaluation Questionnaire

Abstract

This study was an initial psychometric test of the Chinese versions of the Index of Nausea, Vomiting and Retching (INVR), and the Prenatal Self-Evaluation Questionnaire (PSEQ) in pregnant Taiwanese women. Although there already is evidence that the English-language versions of the scales are reliable and valid, it is important to verify the proper psychometric characteristics of the Chinese versions. Forward and backward translation, and a multiphase instrumentation study describing internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and content validity of the translated versions were conducted. A convenience sample was recruited from prenatal clinics in the south of Taiwan. Three measurement instruments were used in this study: the demographic inventory (DI), the INVR, and the PSEQ. Thirty pregnant women participated in the study. Both the internal consistency and stability coefficients of the INVR and PSEQ were satisfactory. The indices of content validity (CVI) for the Chinese versions of these two instruments were both 1.0, indicating that they are acceptable for use among Taiwanese pregnant women. This was the first instrumentation study of the INVR and PSEQ applied to Taiwanese pregnant women. Researchers could use this study as a model for future translation and application of psychometric instrumentation.

Keywords

• psychometric equivalence
• nausea
• vomiting
• maternal psychosocial adaptation