PROPOSTA DE UM INSTRUMENTO PARA AVALIAÇÃO DAS EXPECTATIVAS DE GESTANTES EM RELAÇÃO AO PARTO E NASCIMENTO

Knowing the expectations of the pregnant woman regarding childbirth and birth, and the feelings involved in that moment, such as anxiety and fear in the face of an unexpected scenario, is important for health professionals to be able to provide realistic guidance on the moment of delivery. This study was interested in propose an instrument that measures the expectations of pregnant women in relation to the delivery process, in addition to performing a preliminary validation. The development of the study took place in four steps: 1) systematic review of the literature on the questionnaires already used that address the construct of interest in this study: expectations regarding the delivery process; 2) organization of two focus groups, with professionals in the field and with pregnant women, to discuss the theme. 3) Construction and testing of the instrument with primiparous and multiparous pregnant women, identified in basic health units, groups of pregnant women, doulas meetings; 4) evaluation of the instrument's reliability and validity and proposal for its final version. A preliminary questionnaire of 22 items was prepared and its psychometric properties were tested in a pilot sample of 67 pregnant women. The final instrument was composed of 10 items. The factor analysis indicated three dimensions of the instrument: security (4 questions), feelings (4 questions), and concerns (3 questions). Its reliability was assessed by the Cronbach and Spearman Alpha statistical tests with values of 0.6727 and 0.7658, respectively. The Childbirth and Birth Expectations Questionnaire (QEPN) showed adequate psychometric properties to assess the expectations of pregnant women. From its application in a pilot sample, we present a proposal for future validation. This easy-to-use instrument can be a useful tool to better assess the expectations of pregnant women, and can suit both in the scope of obstetric care and for future research.