Fetal Health Anxiety: A Validity and Reliability Study of the Turkish Version of the Fetal Health Anxiety Inventory

Objective: In the present study, it was aimed to adapt the fetal health anxiety inventory (FHAI) into Turkish and to analyze the validity and reliability of the scale among pregnant women. Methods: Explanatory factor analysis (EFA) was applied to 370 pregnant women in Sample I and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was applied to 200 pregnant women in Sample II. The Prenatal Distress Questionnaire (NuPDQ) was used to test criterion -related validity of the FHAI. The reliability of the inventory was examined with Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient, item -total score correlation coefficient and test -retest analysis. Results: As a result of EFA applied to Sample I, it was determined that the 14 -item FHAI covered a single factor, and the scale demonstrated good fit indices (x2/standard deviation =3.148, comparative fit index =0.907, standardized root mean squared residual =0.000, root mean square error of approximation =0.089, and p value =0.000) as a result of the CFA applied to Sample II. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between the FHAI and NuPDQ (r=0.851, p<0.01). Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient of the inventory was 0.85, and item -total score correlation coefficients were found to range between r=0.340.59 (p<0.001). In the test -retest analysis, a statistically significant and positive correlation was found between the total scores of the inventory obtained in two different applications (r=0.568, p=0.001). Conclusion: The current study supported the use of 14 -item FHAI as a valid and reliable tool to measure fetal health anxiety of Turkish pregnant women.