Psychometric Evaluation of the Japanese Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire Version B

The Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire (W-DEQ) is a widely accepted approach to measuring fear of childbirth and is available in two versions: antenatal (version A) and postnatal (version B). The aim of this study was to develop the Japanese W-DEQ version B and confirm its validity and reliability among Japanese women. A self-administered questionnaire incorporating the translated Japanese W-DEQ (JW-DEQ) version B and the anxiety subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was distributed to Japanese mothers at two days postpartum. Of the 246 women recruited, 231 who completed the questionnaire at two days postpartum were analyzed. An exploratory factor analysis of the JW-DEQ version B revealed four factors: fear, lack of positive anticipation, isolation and riskiness. The JW-DEQ version B exhibited a positive correlation with the HADS anxiety subscale (r = 0.34, p < 0.001). The Cronbach’s α value derived from the total 33 items was 0.95. This study provides evidence of the factorial, concurrent validity and the internal consistency of the JW-DEQ version B. However, a further study involving participants from different demographic groups will be required.