Brief Description

The POQ consists of 15 items and is intended for pregnant women, both with and without a history of perinatal loss. It assesses their concerns regarding the viability and outcome of the current pregnancy. The tool was developed based on interviews with couples who had experienced such losses and aims to identify psychological distress in high-risk pregnancies as well as in the general population.

Purpose

The purpose of the questionnaire is to evaluate the worries and concerns that pregnant women may experience regarding the outcome of their pregnancy.

Scoring Method

Responses are given on a four-point Likert scale (1 = never, 2 = occasionally, 3 = often, 4 = always). Items 1, 5, 6, 11, and 13 are reverse-scored. The total scale score ranges from 15 to 60, with higher scores indicating greater levels of concern.

Validity

The face validity of the tool has been supported through statistically significant differences observed between women with and without a history of perinatal loss. These differences reflect elevated levels of concern among those with previous losses, supporting the scale’s discriminant validity.

Reliability

In a Greek sample of 77 pregnant women, internal consistency reliability was satisfactory, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.79.

Data Analysis and Use

Data analysis includes comparing total scores between groups of women with and without a history of perinatal loss. This comparison helps evaluate the level of anxiety and understand the psychological factors that influence the lived experience of pregnancy.

References

Franche, R. L. & Mikail, S. F. (1999). The impact of perinatal loss on adjustment to subsequent pregnancy. Social Science and Medicine, 48, 1613–1623.
Theut, S. K., Pedersen, F. A., Zaslow, M. J., & Rabinovich, B. A. (1988). Pregnancy subsequent to perinatal loss: Parental anxiety and depression. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 27, 289–292.
Tsartsara, E. (2005). The impact of miscarriage on women’s psychological responses during a subsequent pregnancy and on concepts of femininity: A cross cultural study. Keele University, UK.
Tsartsara, E., & Johnson, M. P. (2006). The impact of miscarriage on women’s pregnancy anxiety and feelings of prenatal maternal-fetal attachment during the course of a subsequent pregnancy: A follow-up study. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology, 27, 173–182.