Psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Prenatal Distress Questionnaire

We examined pregnancy-specific stress and general stress during pregnancy and documented the psychometric properties of the Prenatal Distress Questionnaire (PDQ) in 240 Iranian pregnant women. Participants completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Persian version of the 12-item PDQ to test the validity of the Persian PDQ. Pregnancy-specific stress levels and concerns of women about birth were significantly higher in early pregnancy compared to late pregnancy. Reliability coefficients (Cronbach’s alpha) for the 3 subscales of the Persian PDQ were .73–.93. Results showed therefore that the Persian version of the PDQ is a reliable, valid instrument and a useful screening tool for measuring pregnancy stress in Iranian pregnant women.