Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Individual-Level Abortion Stigma Scale: a methodological study

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Individual-Level Abortion Stigma Scale. SETTING: Three hospitals affiliated to Public Hospitals Union General Secretariat in Manisa, a city located in Western Turkey. DESIGN: This was a methodological study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 230 women aged 22–49 years who previously underwent abortion and volunteered to participate in the study. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Data analysis was performed using the SPSS and LISREL software. The Content Validity Index was calculated based on the values obtained from expert opinions. In the reliability analysis, Cronbach’s alpha values were calculated for the overall scale and its subscales. To test the stability of the scale over time, the scale was readministered to 30 women in the study 15 days later and the test–retest values (Pearson’s correlation coefficients) were determined. In the validity analysis, the exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed. In the exploratory factor analysis, the principal component analysis was performed using the varimax rotation and the factor loading of the scale was examined. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to investigate the item-factor construct of the scale. RESULTS: The Content Validity Index was calculated as 0.86. The Cronbach’s alpha values ranged between 0.83 and 0.94. The item-total correlation coefficients ranged between 0.36 and 0.72, and the test–retest reliability was 0.96 for the overall scale and its subscales (p<0.05). The total variance revealed by five factors was 75%. Confirmatory factor analysis of the scale revealed an acceptable compliance level (root mean square error of approximation=0.092, χ(2)/df=2.91, Goodness of Fit Index=0.831, Comparative Fit Index=0.928, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that this scale has the potential for use in research and clinical settings to measure abortion stigma among women.