Background: A major part of midwifery care involves the empowerment of women and their families for the control of factors affecting their health. To this end, midwives should experience their own empowerment first. The present study was conducted to translate and determine the psychometric properties of the Perception of Empowerment in Midwifery Scale among Iranian midwives. Methods: A total of 380 people participated in this cross-sectional study. A demographic questionnaire and the 22item Perception of Empowerment in Midwifery Scale were sent to the participants online. The validity of the scale and the analysis of its main components were carried out through exploratory factor analysis with Varimax rotation and confirmatory factor analysis. The reliability of the scale was assessed using the internal consistency method with Cronbach's alpha coefficient, average inter-item correlation (AIC) and McDonald's omega. Results: Seventeen scale items were retained after the exploratory factor analysis, and five factors were extracted, including "effective management", "professional practice", "authority", "advocacy", and "professional informant", with factor loadings ranging from 0.489 to 0.899. The five latent factors explained 53.07% of the overall variance of the scale. The confirmatory factor analysis showed an acceptable goodness of fit. The internal consistency of the scale was confirmed with a Cronbach's alpha above 0.7. Conclusion: The Persian version of the Perception of Empowerment in Midwifery Scale with 17 items has adequate reliability for midwives working in Iran. Given its appropriate psychometric properties, this scale is fit to be used among midwives in future studies.

Background: The novel Coronavirus disease is a newly-emerged global challenge that has rapidly spread throughout the world. The COVID-19 pandemic may lead to couples not being physically and mentally ready to assume a parenting role. Given the changes in reproductive behaviors and the lack of accurate information about childbearing factors during the Coronavirus pandemic, the present study investigates the role of the COVID-19 pandemic in Iranian couples’ childbearing intentions based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) model.Methods: The present descriptive-analytical, cross-sectional, web-based study was conducted on 400 married Iranian women in their reproductive age. Sampling was carried out over four months from 12 July 2020 using official online social networks popular among the public. Data were collected using a demographic checklist and the researcher-made questionnaire entitled “Factors related to childbearing intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic”, which was designed based on the main constructs of the planned behavior model. Data were then analyzed in AMOS-24 using path analysis.Results: The mean age of the participants was 33.41 years. Testing the indirect relationships of the mediation model effect showed a positive relationship between knowledge (β = 0.226, p < .001) and subjective norms (β = 0.155, p = .001) about COVID-19. Anxiety about COVID-19 mediated the relationship of knowledge (β = .105, p = .009), attitude (β = -0.125, p = .002), subjective norms (β = .238, p < .001), and perceived behavioral control (β = .513, p < .001) about COVID-19 with childbearing intentions.Conclusions: Childbearing intentions had a direct relationship with knowledge, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control in relation to COVID-19, and COVID-19-induced anxiety had a mediating role among the TPB constructs for performing an intended behavior (childbearing desire). Designing appropriate interventions to increase childbearing desires through anxiety-reducing and relaxation techniques will prove more effective.

Background and Objective: There is no comprehensive instrument for the assessment of postpartum quality of life (QOL). This study was conducted to develop the Maternal Postpartum Quality of Life Instrument (MPQOLI) and assess its psychometric properties.Materials and Methods: This methodological study was conducted in 2019–2020 using an exploratory sequential mixed-method design. A qualitative study and a literature review were conducted to generate MPQOLI items. Through purposeful sampling, 590 postpartum women were recruited to respond the instrument. Face and content validity were assessed qualitatively and quantitatively and construct validity was assessed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and convergent and discriminant validity assessments. Reliability was also assessed through different methods, including Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s Omega.Results: Eight items were deleted in content validity assessments and eighteen items were deleted in item analysis. Participants responded the 31-item MPQOLI. During exploratory factor analysis, fifteen items were deleted and the remaining sixteen items were loaded on five factors labeled perceived support, sexual relationship, bonding with newborn, breastfeeding and newborn care, and satisfaction with postpartum transition. These five factors explained 53.26% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the five-factor structure of MPQOLI with a CMIN/DF of 2.192, an RMSEA of 0.057, a χ2 of 206.087, a PCFI of 0.738, a PNFI of 0.705, a CFI of 0.942, and an IFI of 0.943. Average variance extracted was more than 0.5 and more than maximum shared squared variance, confirming convergent and discriminant validity, respectively. Reliability was also confirmed with Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.70–0.907 and an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.919.Conclusion: The sixteen-item MPQOLI is a valid and reliable instrument for postpartum QOL assessment. It includes items on the different aspects of postpartum QOL and can be used for the early diagnosis of impaired postpartum QOL. Further studies are needed to assess the psychometric properties of MPQOLI in different cultures and communities.

Background and Objective: Many studies have been conducted in Iran on the postpartum quality of life, and the majority have used the general quality of life questionnaire. With a specific tool in this context, the dimensions of maternal postpartum quality of life can be more accurately determined. The present study was conducted to determine psychometric properties and validate the Persian version of the Maternal Postpartum Quality of Life Questionnaire (MAPP-QOL).Materials and Methods: The present methodological study was conducted in 2018. The original version of MAPP-QOL was translated into Persian by both forward and backward translation. In a cross-sectional study, the Persian version was completed by 407 eligible postpartum women aged 18 to 47 and living in Tehran. Reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and test-retest. For construct validity, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used.Results: The MAPP-QOL showed good content validity; content validity ratio (CVR) ranged from 0.6 to 1.00, and content validity index (CVI) ranged from 0.7 to 1.00. Using exploratory factor analysis, five factors, including Socioeconomic; Relational/Family-Friends; Psychological/Baby; Health & functioning; and Relational/Spouse-Partner, were extracted, which together explained 78.84% of the total variance. After modifications of CFA, the confirmatory factor analysis showed an acceptable goodness-of-fit. AVE value Above 0.5 exhibited appropriate convergent validity, and AVE greater than MSV confirmed divergent validity. The Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's Omega, Composite reliability and maximum reliability H of the five extracted factors were excellent (>0.9). Also, the AIC values of the factors were good (between 0.721 to 0.859). Conclusion: The 38-item Persian version of the postpartum quality of life questionnaire is adequately reliable for postpartum women in Iran. Given its appropriate psychometric properties, this scale is fit to be used in future studies on postpartum women.