Psychometric properties of the Barkin Index of Maternal Functioning with Ethiopian mothers

Background The functional status of mothers after childbirth has implications for maternal, child, and family health. There is a lack of adequate reliable and valid instruments in Ethiopia for assessing women postpartum functional status. Objective This study was intended to reveal the psychometric properties of the Barkin Index of Maternal Functioning (BIMF) for assessing Ethiopian mothers functional status. Method Structured interviews were used to obtain BIMF data from 202 women who had a child less than 1 year of age. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the BIMF items; internal consistency was assessed with interitem correlations and coefficient alphas; construct validity was examined through exploratory factor analyses (EFAs) after face and content validities had been confirmed; and test retest reliability was assessed with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Results Narrow standard deviations and significant skewness and kurtosis characterized most of the individual BIMF items. Most interitem correlations were < |.15| and 13 of the 20 BIMF items did not load satisfactorily on any factor in exploratory factor analyses. Two factors emerged from the remaining items, one with three items and the other with four. Coefficient alphas were .54 for the first of these factors, .48 for the second, and .58 for all 20 items. The ICCs for test retest reliability were < .40. Conclusions BIMF data from the sample of Ethiopian women in this study exhibited unusually low levels of variability and high levels of skewness and kurtosis. Furthermore, in the context of this study, the BIMF could not be regarded as reliable either in terms of internal (interitem) consistency or temporal (testretest) consistency. Researchers using the BIMF in Ethiopian contexts are advised to examine the nature of their data carefully, identify the factor structure of their samples data, and consider ways in which the index might be improved, or replaced. Keywords: Barkin Index of Maternal Functioning, BIMF, maternal functioning, Ethiopia

Does a nurse-led postpartum self-care program for first-time mothers in Bangladesh improve postpartum fatigue, depressive mood, and maternal functioning?: a non-synchronized quasi-experimental study

Purpose: This study aimed to test the efficacy of a nurse-led postpartum self-care (NL-PPSC) intervention at reducing postpartum fatigue (PPF) and depressive mood and promoting maternal functioning among first-time mothers in Bangladesh.Methods: A non-synchronized quasi-experimental design was used. First-time mothers were recruited during postpartum (PP) and assigned to the experimental or control group (34 each). The experimental group attended the NL-PPSC—a 1-day intervention that focused on increasing self-efficacy—at a hospital in person. The control group received usual care. Data on PPF, depressive mood, maternal functioning, self-care behaviors, PP self-efficacy, and self-care knowledge were collected at 2 weeks PP (attrition 23.5%) and 6 weeks PP (attrition 16.1%). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, bivariate statistics, and linear mixed model analysis.Results: One-third (33.3%) of new mothers experienced depressive mood (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores of ≥13 points). The NL-PPSC intervention statistically significantly decreased PPF (β=–6.17, SE=1.81, t=–3.39, p<.01) and increased maternal functioning at 6 weeks PP in the experimental group (β=13.72, t=3.73, p<.01) as opposed to the control group. Knowledge was also statistically significant for increased maternal functioning over time (β=.37, SE=.18, t=2.03, p<.05). However, no statistically significant differences in PP depressive mood were observed over time.Conclusion: The NL-PPSC intervention was feasible and effective at improving fatigue and maternal functioning in Bangladeshi mothers at 6 weeks PP. PP care knowledge was effective at improving maternal functioning; this finding supports the implementation of the NL-PPSC intervention for new mothers after childbirth.

Moderation of the transgenerational transference of antenatal stress-induced anxiety

Maternal stress has debilitating implications for both mother and child, including increased risk for anxiety. The current COVID-19 pandemic escalates these phenomena, thus, urging the need to further explore and validate feasible therapeutic options. Unlike the protracted nature of clinical studies, animal models could offer swift evidence. Prominent candidates for treatment are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to the mother, that putatively accommodate maternal functioning, and, thereby, also protect the child. However, SSRIs might have deleterious effects. It is important to assess whether SSRIs and other pharmacotherapies can moderate the transference of anxiety by soothing maternal anxiety and to examine the extent of offspring’s exposure to the drugs via lactation. To our knowledge, the possibility that antenatal stress exacerbates lactation-driven exposure to SSRIs has not been tested yet. Thirty ICR-outbred female mice were exposed to stress during gestation and subsequently administered with either the SSRI, escitalopram, or the novel herbal candidate, shan-zha, during lactation. Upon weaning, both dams’ and pups’ anxiety-like behavior and serum escitalopram levels were assessed. The major findings of the current study show that both agents moderated the antenatal stress-induced transgenerational transference of anxiety by ameliorating dams’ anxiety. Interestingly though, pups’ exposure to escitalopram via lactation was exacerbated by antenatal stress. The latter finding provides a significant insight into the mechanism of lactation-driven exposure to xenobiotics and calls for a further consideration vis-à-vis the administration of other drugs during breastfeeding.

Persian version of the Barkin Index of Maternal Functioning (BIMF): a cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric evaluation

Background Postpartum maternal functioning has the potential to affect the quality of interaction between mother and child. A proper assessment of maternal functioning requires a comprehensive and accurate tool. The objective of this study was to prepare a Persian version of the Barkin Index of Maternal Functioning (BIMF) and evaluate its psychometric properties in order to determine its applicability in Iranian mothers. Methods The BIMF was translated into Persian and then culturally adapted for Iranian women. After evaluating face and content validity, to perform factor analysis, a cross-sectional study was conducted using the Persian version of BIMF. The data was collected from two unique groups of 250 mothers (in all 500 mothers) who had infants 2 to 12-months old and who were selected using a two-stage cluster sampling method. Factor analysis, Pearson’s correlation, intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC), composite reliability (CR) and Cronbach’s alpha were employed in order to evaluate structural validity and reliability. Results Exploratory factor analysis resulted in a five-factor structure consisting of 20 items. Subsequently, confirmatory factor analysis (X 2/ df = 1.61, RMSEA = 0.050, GFI = 0.91, CFI = 0.91) confirmed that the Persian version had satisfactory goodness of fit. Reliability and internal consistency were confirmed with a CR of 0.77, an ICC of 0.87 and a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.81. Conclusions The findings indicated that the Persian version of the BIMF is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing maternal functioning among Iranian mothers.

Persian Version of the Barkin Index of Maternal Functioning (BIMF): A Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Evaluation

Background Postpartum maternal functioning has the potential to affect the quality of interaction between mother and child. A proper assessment of maternal functioning requires a comprehensive and accurate tool. The objective of this study was to prepare a Persian version of the Barkin Index of Maternal Functioning (BIMF) and evaluate its psychometric properties in order to determine its applicability in Iranian mothers.Methods The BIMF was translated into Persian and then culturally adapted for Iranian women. After evaluating face and content validity, a cross-sectional study was conducted using the Persian version of BIMF. The data was collected from two unique groups of 250 mothers (in all 500 mothers); the women had infants who were 2 to 12-months old and were selected using a two-stage cluster sampling method. Factor analysis, Pearson’s correlation, intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC), composite reliability (CR) and Cronbach’s alpha were employed in order to evaluate structural validity and reliability.Results Exploratory factor analysis resulted in a five-factor structure consisting of 20 items. Subsequently, confirmatory factor analysis (X ²/ df= 1.61, RMSEA = 0.050, GFI = 0.91, CFI = 0.91) confirmed that the Persian version had satisfactory goodness of fit. Reliability and internal consistency were confirmed with a CR of 0.77, an ICC of 0.87 and a Cronbach's alpha of 0.81. Conclusions The findings indicated that the Persian version of the BIMF is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing maternal functioning among Iranian mothers.

Persian Version of the Barkin Index of Maternal Functioning (BIMF): A Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Evaluation

BackgroundPostpartum maternal functioning has the potential to affect the quality of interaction between mother and child. A proper assessment of maternal functioning requires a comprehensive and accurate tool. The objective of this study was to prepare a Persian version of the Barkin Index of Maternal Functioning (BIMF) and evaluate its psychometric properties in order to determine its applicability in Iranian mothers.MethodsThe BIMF was translated into Persian and then culturally adapted for Iranian women. After evaluating face and content validity, a cross-sectional study was conducted using the Persian version of BIMF. The data was collected from two unique groups of 250 mothers (in all 500 mothers); the women had infants who were 2 to 12-months old and were selected using a two-stage cluster sampling method. Factor analysis, Pearson’s correlation, intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC), composite reliability (CR) and Cronbach’s alpha were employed in order to evaluate structural validity and reliability.ResultsExploratory factor analysis resulted in a five-factor structure consisting of 20 items. Subsequently, confirmatory factor analysis (X ²/ df= 1.61, RMSEA = 0.050, GFI = 0.91, CFI = 0.91) confirmed that the Persian version had satisfactory goodness of fit. Reliability and internal consistency were confirmed with a CR of 0.77, an ICC of 0.87 and a Cronbach's alpha of 0.81.ConclusionsThe findings indicated that the Persian version of the BIMF is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing maternal functioning among Iranian mothers.

In Their Own Words: A Qualitative Investigation of the Factors Influencing Maternal Postpartum Functioning in the United States

During the first twelve months postpartum, infants require intensive care and mothers are susceptible to physical and mental health concerns as they undergo a period of tremendous psychological and physiological adjustment. The mother’s level of postpartum functioning not only impacts her experience as a mother but also the infant and family unit. However, efforts to bolster functioning are lacking, and previous literature has identified a gap between what experts recommend and what mothers desire during the postpartum period. To address this, we conducted structured interviews with a diverse sample of 30 postpartum mothers to identify factors that mothers report are most influential to their postpartum functioning. In total, we identified 23 clinically actionable factors, all of which are backed by existing literature. In addition to an in-depth presentation of the qualitative findings, we also present a heat map to visualize the relevance of these factors to each of seven established domains of maternal functioning. Lastly, based on our findings, we offer a taxonomy of interventional strategies that could bolster maternal functioning during this critical period.