Translation and validation of the Chinese version of the maternal postpartum stress scale

OBJECTIVE: To translate the Maternal Postpartum Stress Scale (MPSS) into Chinese and validate its psychometric properties in postpartum women. METHODS: A total of 406 postpartum women were recruited from six hospitals in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China. Cronbach’s α co-efficient, split-half reliability, and test-retest reliability were used to evaluate the reliability of the translated scale. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to evaluate the structural validity of the scale. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 anxiety dimension, and Perceived Stress Scale were used as calibration scales to measure the correlation of MPSS. All data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 and Amos 24.0. RESULTS: The Cronbach’s α co-efficient of the Chinese version of MPSS and its three dimensions were 0.940 and 0.882–0.911, respectively. The split-half reliability was 0.825, and the test-retest reliability was 0.912. The scale’s content validity index was 0.926. Three common factors were extracted from the EFA. The CFA validated the explored 3-factor structure, and the indicators were fitted well (χ2/Df = 2.167, comparative fit index = 0.918, Tucker–Lewis index = 0.907, incremental fit index = 0.919, and root mean square error of approximation = 0.075). CONCLUSION: The translated Chinese version of MPSS had suitable reliability and validity in assessing postpartum stress in Chinese women. The translated scale can also help with the early identification of postpartum stress and provide a scientific basis for the formulation of early personalized intervention measures. Overall, the scale has certain clinical value and practical significance for enhancing the physical and mental health of postpartum women. However, future studies including large, diverse populations are warranted. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12884-023-05990-y.