Psychometric testing of the Perception of Pregnancy Risk Questionnaire.

Pregnant women's perception of risk may influence their health behaviors during pregnancy; however, no validated instrument exists to measure those perceptions. The purpose of this study was to refine a new instrument, the Perception of Pregnancy Risk Questionnaire (PPRQ), and conduct psychometric assessment of the final 9-item version. Reliability and validity were assessed using a sample of 199 women in the third trimester of pregnancy. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in a two-factor solution. Evidence of construct validity was demonstrated using the known-groups technique and through convergent validity. Ratings of pregnancy risk correlated with state anxiety level, providing evidence of concurrent validity. The PPRQ had high internal consistency reliability and excellent test-retest reliability.