Development and preliminary psychometric evaluation of a questionnaire assessing reproductive and pregnancy related risk factors for cardiovascular disease in Indian parous women

Parnika D. Deshmukh; Nidhi G. Ladha

doi:10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20262741

Authors

Parnika D. Deshmukh Department of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Physiotherapy, P. E. S. Modern College of Physiotherapy, Pune, India
Nidhi G. Ladha Department of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Physiotherapy, P. E. S. Modern College of Physiotherapy, Pune, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20262741

Keywords:

Cardiovascular disease, Parous women, Physical activity, Pregnancy, Questionnaire, Reproductive health

Abstract

Background: Reproductive and pregnancy related factors that contribute to cardiovascular risk in women are gaining traction. Structured documentation of these factors remains limited in Indian parous women. This study aimed to develop a questionnaire assessing reproductive and pregnancy related risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), examine its preliminary psychometric properties, and explore associations between questionnaire derived factors and physical activity levels.

Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in gynecology units over 18 months after ethics approval and informed consent. A literature informed questionnaire was drafted, reviewed by experts for clarity and relevance, revised, pilot tested, and then administered along with the global physical activity questionnaire (GPAQ) to 377 parous women aged 20 to 40 years. The final instrument comprised 55 items.

Results: The questionnaire showed high internal consistency (Cronbach alpha=0.982). Structural assessment showed factor loadings of 0.31 to 0.54. Mean age, body mass index, and waist-hip ratio were 29.44±3.85 years, 25.02±2.69 kg/m², and 0.89±0.05, respectively. Based on physical activity classification, 151 (40.1%) women were sedentary, 122 (32.4%) were minimally active, and 104 (27.6%) were active. Physical activity categories showed significant associations with several reproductive and pregnancy related factors, including hypertension, hyperthyroidism, dysmenorrhea, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), gestational diabetes (GD), eclampsia, type of delivery, and postpartum depression.

Conclusions: The questionnaire demonstrated encouraging preliminary psychometric properties and was feasible for documenting reproductive and pregnancy related factors relevant to CVD risk in Indian parous women. Further validation is required before broader screening use.

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