Dataset Information

Abortion after diagnosis of fetal anomaly: Psychometric properties of a German version of the individual level abortion stigma scale.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Diagnosis of fetal anomaly is a significant life event and social stigma can negatively impact on the well-being of women opting for an abortion. This study investigated the psychometric properties of a measure of stigma among women who had had an abortion after diagnosis of fetal anomaly in a German setting. METHODS:The Individual Level Abortion Stigma (ILAS) scale was translated into German. Psychometric properties of the ILAS scale were examined among 130 women with a history of an abortion after diagnosis of fetal anomaly. Individual and situational factors associated with stigma in the context of an abortion after diagnosis of fetal anomaly were explored. RESULTS:Factor analysis suggested a four-dimensional structure of the German version of the Individual Level Abortion Stigma scale (Cronbach's ?, .83-.91), corresponding to the subscales of the original scale. Test-retest reliability was acceptable for the worries about judgment subscale, the self-judgment subscale, and the community condemnation subscale, but less convincing for the isolation subscale. Associations between the subscales and measures of depression, self-esteem and secrecy were found in directions consistent with theory. Women who did not perceive their fetus to have a low survival chance and women whose fetus was at higher gestational age reported higher levels of stigma, whereas higher perceived partner support was associated with lower levels of stigma. LIMITATION:Generalizability of study results was limited, as participants were recruited from one clinic in Germany and the study had a response rate of 46.5%. CONCLUSIONS:The ILAS subscales are largely reliable and valid measures to assess stigma among women who have had an abortion after diagnosis of fetal anomaly. Suggestions for improving the assessment of stigma experienced in this population are outlined. The scales can be useful in research aiming at investigating psychological outcomes of abortion after diagnosis of fetal anomaly and improving care structures.

SUBMITTER: Hanschmidt F

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5997354 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Abortion after diagnosis of fetal anomaly: Psychometric properties of a German version of the individual level abortion stigma scale.

Hanschmidt Franz F Nagl Michaela M Klingner Johanna J Stepan Holger H Kersting Anette A

PloS one 20180612 6

<h4>Background</h4>Diagnosis of fetal anomaly is a significant life event and social stigma can negatively impact on the well-being of women opting for an abortion. This study investigated the psychometric properties of a measure of stigma among women who had had an abortion after diagnosis of fetal anomaly in a German setting.<h4>Methods</h4>The Individual Level Abortion Stigma (ILAS) scale was translated into German. Psychometric properties of the ILAS scale were examined among 130 women with ...[more]

PMID: 29894474

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Project description:OBJECTIVES:The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Individual-Level Abortion Stigma Scale. SETTING:Three hospitals affiliated to Public Hospitals Union General Secretariat in Manisa, a city located in Western Turkey. DESIGN:This was a methodological study. PARTICIPANTS:A total of 230 women aged 22-49 years who previously underwent abortion and volunteered to participate in the study. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES:Data analysis was performed using the SPSS and LISREL software. The Content Validity Index was calculated based on the values obtained from expert opinions. In the reliability analysis, Cronbach's alpha values were calculated for the overall scale and its subscales. To test the stability of the scale over time, the scale was readministered to 30 women in the study 15 days later and the test-retest values (Pearson's correlation coefficients) were determined. In the validity analysis, the exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed. In the exploratory factor analysis, the principal component analysis was performed using the varimax rotation and the factor loading of the scale was examined. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to investigate the item-factor construct of the scale. RESULTS:The Content Validity Index was calculated as 0.86. The Cronbach's alpha values ranged between 0.83 and 0.94. The item-total correlation coefficients ranged between 0.36 and 0.72, and the test-retest reliability was 0.96 for the overall scale and its subscales (p<0.05). The total variance revealed by five factors was 75%. Confirmatory factor analysis of the scale revealed an acceptable compliance level (root mean square error of approximation=0.092, χ2/df=2.91, Goodness of Fit Index=0.831, Comparative Fit Index=0.928, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS:The results suggest that this scale has the potential for use in research and clinical settings to measure abortion stigma among women.

Project description:BACKGROUND:The Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Health Care Providers (OMS-HC) is a widely used questionnaire to measure the stigmatising attitudes of healthcare providers towards patients with mental health problems. The psychometric properties of the scale; however, have never been investigated in Hungary. We aimed to thoroughly explore the factor structure of the OMS-HC and examine the key psychometric properties of the Hungarian version. METHODS:The OMS-HC is a self-report questionnaire that measures the overall stigmatising attitude by a total score, and three subscales can be calculated: Attitude, Disclosure and Help-seeking, and Social Distance. Our study population included specialists and trainees in adult and child psychiatry (n?=?211). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed, and higher-order factors were tested. We calculated the test-retest reliability on a subgroup of our sample (n?=?31) with a follow-up period of 1 month. The concurrent validity of the scale was measured with the Mental Illness: Clinician's Attitudes-4 scale (MICA-4). RESULTS:Three factors were extracted based on a parallel-analysis. A bifactor solution (a general factor and three specific factors) showed an excellent model-fit (root mean square error of approximation?=?0.025, comparative fit index?=?0.961, and Tucker-Lewis index?=?0.944). The model-based reliability was low; however, the general factor showed acceptable reliability (coefficient omega hierarchical =?0.56). The scale demonstrated a good concurrent validity with the MICA-4 [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)?=?0.77]. The test-retest reliability was excellent for the general factor (ICC?=?0.95) and good for the specific factors (ICC?=?0.90, 0.88, and 0.84, respectively). CONCLUSIONS:The three dimensions of the OMS-HC was confirmed, and the scale was found to be an adequate measure of the stigmatising attitude in Hungary. The bifactor model is more favourable as compared to the three correlated factor model; however, despite the excellent internal structure, its model-based reliability was low.

Dataset Information

Abortion after diagnosis of fetal anomaly: Psychometric properties of a German version of the individual level abortion stigma scale.

Publications

Abortion after diagnosis of fetal anomaly: Psychometric properties of a German version of the individual level abortion stigma scale.

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