Quality of Life instruments and their psychometric properties for use in parents during pregnancy and the postpartum period: a systematic scoping review

Purpose To identify instruments used to measure parents' Quality of Life (QoL) during pregnancy and the postpartum period, and to describe their characteristics and psychometric properties. Methods For this scoping review we conducted systematic literature searches in MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, CINAHL and HaPI in mid-December 2020, to identify studies evaluating psychometric properties. The COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) were used to define and categorize psychometric properties. Two reviewers screened the studies independently, and customized screening questions were used to assess eligibility against inclusion criteria. Data were systematically extracted into a predesigned data charting matrix, and descriptively analyzed. Results The searches identified 5671 studies, of which 53 studies met the inclusion criteria. In total, there were 19 QoL instruments: 12 generic and seven period specific. The most reported instruments were SF-36, SF-12 and WHOQOL-BREF, and the most evaluated instruments were SF-12, WHOQOL-BREF, QOL-GRAV, and PQOL. We found that none of the identified instruments had been evaluated for all nine psychometric properties recommended by the COSMIN. The most reported psychometric properties were internal consistency and structural validity. The instruments were primarily assessed in parents residing in Asia (50%), and 83% of the studies were conducted from 2010 to 2020. Only three studies included psychometric measures assessed on fathers. Conclusion Our review shows there is extensive evidence on the internal consistency and structural validity of QoL instruments used on parents during pregnancy and the postpartum period, but that the evidence on other psychometric properties is sparse. Validation studies and primary studies are needed to provide evidence on the reliability, validity, responsiveness, and interpretability of QoL instruments for this target group, in particular for fathers and partners.

Automated summary

This scoping review aimed to identify instruments used to measure parents' Quality of Life (QoL) during pregnancy and the postpartum period, and describe their characteristics and psychometric properties. The review found 19 different QoL instruments, most of which were evaluated in parents residing in Asia. However, none of these instruments have been evaluated for all nine psychometric properties recommended by the COSMIN. The most reported psychometric properties were internal consistency and structural validity. There is a need for validation studies and primary research to assess the reliability, validity, responsiveness, and interpretability of QoL instruments for parents, particularly for fathers and partners.