Purpose: Women with high-risk pregnancies are often required to make choices about further prenatal testing for Down syndrome, but the decisional conflict they face is poorly understood. This study aimed to test the validity and reliability of the Mandarin version of the decisional conflict scale (M-DCS) in Chinese women with high-risk pregnancies making choices about further prenatal testing for Down syndrome.
Patients and Methods: A methodological study was conducted to determine the psychometric properties of the M-DCS, specially, reliability and content, construct, and concurrent validity. The convenience sample comprised 240 pregnant women with high risk for Down syndrome attending the out-patient clinic of the study hospital in Guangzhou, China.
Results: The five-factor model of M-DCS was supported by confirmatory factor analysis with a satisfactory fit to the data (RMSEA < 0.08, RMR < 0.05, GFI, CFI, NFI, and IFI all > 0.90, except AGFI=0.88 PNFI = 0.76). The internal consistency of the M-DCS was high, with Cronbach’s α of 0.94.
Conclusion: The reliability and validity (content, construct, and concurrent) of the M-DCS were all demonstrated as good. This instrument is an important tool for researchers and health-care providers working with women with high-risk pregnancies who need to make choices about further prenatal testing for Down syndrome.
Keywords: decisional conflict, prenatal testing, reliability, validity