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In their own words: beginning development of a patient-derived measure of maternal postpartum self-efficacy
Thesis   Open access

In their own words: beginning development of a patient-derived measure of maternal postpartum self-efficacy

Ariana M. Albanese
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
May 2020
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00000214
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Albanese_Ariana_20201.68 MBDownloadView

Abstract

Psychology
Parental self-efficacy (PSE), a parent's belief about their ability to influence their child in a health- and success-promoting manner, has been identified repeatedly as a key factor in positive parent and child outcomes beginning in infancy - specifically in the domains of the parent-child relationship, parent and child mental health, and child development. Additionally, there is evidence to suggest that a focus on maternal postpartum PSE could yield particularly high levels of benefit for parent and child. However, the existing tools used to measure the construct are lacking. Therefore, the current study aimed to begin development of a measure of maternal postpartum PSE by collecting qualitative structured interview data from postpartum mothers concerning factors influencing maternal self-efficacy in established domains of maternal functioning. These interviews were thematically coded, resulting in 24 main qualitative themes and nine subthemes that participants indicated were particularly relevant to their perceived parenting capability. Future work will translate these codes into items on a new measure of maternal postpartum PSE that is subsequently checked by a panel of experts to ensure completeness, and then pilot tested for psychometric performance. In addition to informing measure development, these themes identify key factors underlying perceived parenting capability in postpartum mothers that could also inform future intervention designed to bolster PSE in this population.

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