Fathers for the first time: Validation of a questionnaire to asses father experiences of first childbirth in Latin America

MOLINA-VELÁSQUEZ, LESLIE; BELIZÁN, JOSÉ M; PÉREZ-VILLALOBOS, CRISTHIAN; CONTRERAS-GARCÍA, YOLANDA

MIDWIFERY

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

Año: 2018 vol. 67 p. 32 - 38

0266-6138

The active incorporation of men in the process of childbirth is an increasingly common practice internationally. However, there are no validated instruments for Latin America. Objective: To validate an instrument to assess new fathers? experiences during childbirth in Latin America. Design: Prospective validation study. Setting: Talcahuano, Chile. Population: Fathers who participated in the birth of their first child (n = 220) between September 2015 to May 2016, in a public hospital in Chile. Methods: The Swedish questionnaire ?First Time Fathers Questionnaire? was used. As a first step, the questionnaire was translated to Spanish, followed by expert judgment of such translation and validation. For content validity, a descriptive analysis of the expert judgment and combined Kappa evaluation was performed. Construct validity with Exploratory Factor Analysis was done. Reliability based on internal consistency, was tested using Cronbach´s Alpha. Criteria validity was tested with Pearson correlation and Student t-test, and logistic regression. Main outcome measures: Questionnaire in Spanish with adequate evidence of reliability and validity. Results: Two components were identified: ?Support from the Health System? and ?Father Worry? with 19 items and adequate internal reliability (0.84 and 0.79 respectively). There is a statistically significant inverse correlation between ?Father Worry? and ?Support from the Health System?. There is a statistically significant association between ?Father Worry? and the type of delivery, being higher in Caesarean sections. There is a statistically significant association between ?Support of the Health System? and preparation for childbirth being higher in those who were prepared. Conclusions: This study provides a validated instrument to assess the experience of fathers who participate in the birth of their first child in Latin America. Implications for practice: The evaluation of the paternal experience during birth contributes to the knowledge of the male´s emotional processes involved in this event. Midwifery is in a key position to promote a transcendent parental experience.