Adaption and validation of the childbirth experience questionnaire (CEQ-SK) in Slovakia

INTRODUCTION Using validated and reliable instruments to examine women's birth experiences is important to ensure respectful care. There is a lack of validated instruments for evaluating childbirth care in the Slovak context. In this study, we aimed to adapt and validate the childbirth experience questionnaire (CEQ) in Slovakia (CEQ-SK). METHOD The CEQ-SK was developed and modified from the English version of the CEQ/ CEQ2. Face validity was tested in two pre-tests. A convenience sample, recruited through social media, included 286 women who had given birth within the last six months. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach ' s alpha. Construct and discriminant validity was assessed by exploratory factor analysis and known-group comparison. RESULTS The exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-dimensional structure, explaining 63.3% of the total variance. The factors were labelled ' Own capacity ', ' Professional support ' and ' Decision making '. No items were excluded. Internal consistency was demonstrated with an overall Cronbach ' s alpha of 0.94 for the total scale. Primiparous women, women who had an emergency cesarean section, and women who had been exposed to the Kristeller manoeuvre had a lower overall score on the CEQ-SK compared to parous women, women having a vaginal birth and women not exposed to the Kristeller manoeuvre. CONCLUSION The CEQ-SK was found to be a valid and reliable tool for evaluating childbirth experience in Slovakia. The original CEQ is a four-dimensional questionnaire; however, factor analysis showed a three-dimensional structure in the Slovak sample. This needs to be taken into consideration when comparing the results from the CEQ-SK with studies that use the four-dimensional structure.