Development of an Assessment Scale for the Risk of Falling in Pregnant Women

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction In pregnant women, the rate of falling is similar to that of women older than 70 years. According to the literature review, there is no risk of falling assessment tool that is specific to pregnancy. The aim of the study was to develop a risk of falling assessment scale for pregnant women. Methods This is a methodological study. The study's population consisted of pregnant women who sought follow-up care at a state hospital's maternity ward between November 2016 and November 2017. The study sample included 630 pregnant women who met the inclusion criteria and volunteered for the study. The Pregnant Women Information Form and Assessment Scale for Risk of Falling in Pregnant Women were used as data collection tools. Results During the scale development process, an item pool draft of 63 questions was developed and submitted to 10 experts for feedback. The findings of the content validity analysis revealed that the average of the items was 0.95, validity was good, and the number of items on the scale was reduced to 42 according to the experts' suggestions. The Cronbach α coefficient of the scale was found to be 0.604 (moderately reliable). It was discovered that the CART and QUEST algorithms on the scale were successful models for estimating the status of falls in pregnant women. Conclusion A 42-item assessment scale for the risk of falling in pregnant women was developed, and it was determined that the scale was a valid and reliable tool.