Reliability and validity of the Inventory of Functional Status after Childbirth when used in an Australian population

Abstract

This study presents the results of reliability and validity testing of the Inventory of Functional Status after Childbirth (IFSAC) when used in an Australian sample. Data were obtained from a culturally diverse group of 173 women residing in a regional city in New South Wales, Australia. Participants could read and write English, delivered healthy infants between 37 and 42 weeks gestation and experienced normal pregnancies, labors, and deliveries. The inventory and its five scales were assessed for reliability using Cronbach's coefficient a and construct validity using item-total correlation matrices. While three of the IFSAC scales performed well, two were problematic in this Australian population. With modification and updating, the clinical utility of IFSAC may be more fully realized.