Validation of the Korean version of the Perinatal Infant Care Social Support scale: a methodological study

Purpose The purpose of this study was to develop and test the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the Perinatal Infant Care Social Support (K-PICSS) for postpartum mothers. Methods This study used a cross-sectional design. The K-PICSS was developed through forward-backward translation. Online survey data were collected from 284 Korean mothers with infants 1-2 months of age. The 19-item K-PICSS consists of functional and structural domains. The functional domain of social support measures infant care practices of postpartum mothers. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and known-group comparison were used to verify the construct validity of the K-PICSS. Social support and postpartum depression were also measured to test criterion validity. Psychometric testing was not applicable to the structural social support domain. Results The average age of mothers was 32.76±3.34 years, and they had been married for 38.45±29.48 months. Construct validity was supported by the results of EFA, which confirmed a three-factor structure of the scale (informational support, supporting presence, and practical support). Significant correlations of the K-PICSS with social support (r=.71, p<.001) and depression (r=–.40, p<.001) were found. The K-PICSS showed reliable internal consistency, with Cronbach’s α values of .90 overall and .82–.83 in the three subscales. The vast majority of respondents reported that their husband or their parents were their main sources of support for infant care. Conclusion This study demonstrates that the K-PICSS has satisfactory construct validity and reliability to measure infant care social support in Korea

Experiences of Sanhujori Facility Use among the First Time Mothers by the Focus Group Interview

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of Sanhujori facility use among the first time mothers in Korea. METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted, using focus group interview. Data were collected from the 24 first time mothers of 4 focus groups, who had given birth within 6 month and had used one of the Sanhujori facilities located in C province, Korea. After obtaining written informed consent from all participants, each session of the focus group was audio-taped and transcribed into verbatim. Data were analyzed using content analysis in order to identify significant themes. RESULTS: Four major themes that emerged from the data were as follows. 1) Promoting postpartum physical recovery through a enough time with only focusing on herself, 2) Promoting postpartum psychological recovery through emotional and informational support with peer mothers, 3) Experiencing breast feeding difficulties and disappointing with unsatisfied help from health professionals, and 4) Lack of the professional education programs regarding parenting. CONCLUSION: Based on these results, it will be suggested that the various support programs by not only the peer mothers co-resided in Sanhujori facilities but also the health care professionals in the Sanhujori facilities should be developed for helping a &quot;becoming a mother&quot; of the first time mother in the Sanhujori facilities. In addition, qualified education and counseling program, especially for the successful breast feeding, should be provided by the health care professionals for improving mothering ability of the first time mother in the Sanhujori facilities