Psychometric analysis and validation of the SF-34 PREG: An adaptation of the SF-36 for assessing quality of life in pregnant women

This study aims to perform a psychometric analysis of the 36-item short form health survey (SF-36) in a population of pregnant women and validate an adapted version of the instrument to measure health-related quality of life specific to pregnancy. A cross-sectional study design was carried out with data collection between 7 and 36 weeks of gestation, with a total sample of 547 pregnant women divided into two randomized subsamples. Data were collected between September 2021 and April 2023. An exploratory factor analysis was initially performed on one subsample, followed by a confirmatory factor analysis on the other. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega, and correlations between factors were analyzed. Results from the exploratory factor analysis proposed a seven-factor model explaining 56% of the variance. All proposed dimensions achieved Cronbach's alpha scores above 0.75, with a total test score of 0.92. Furthermore, all dimensions exhibited positive and statistically significant correlations. Bartlett's test of sphericity and the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test yielded values of 5599 (P