Factor analysis of the Parental Stressor Scale in parents of term and near-term surgical newborns.

OBJECTIVE

A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PSS:NICU) in parents of term and near-term surgical newborns.

BACKGROUND

The PSS:NICU is a common measure of the stressors experienced by parents of NICU newborns. A CFA of the PSS:NICU has not been published.

METHODS

A CFA of the 26-item version of the PSS:NICU (PSS:NICU-26) was conducted using data from 216 parents of term and near-term surgical newborns. A multigroup CFA analysis was conducted to determine if the factor structure of the final PSS:NICU model was invariant across gender.

RESULTS

CFA showed the PSS:NICU-26 model was a poor fit for the data. Exploratory factor analysis and CFAs with post hoc modifications resulted in the exclusion of 10 PSS:NICU-26 items. The resultant PSS:NICU-16 model was a good fit for the data and the factor structure was invariant across gender.

CONCLUSION

The PSS:NICU-16 is a reliable measure of NICU-related parental stressors with a structure that is invariant across gender. Although the study findings should be replicated, researchers should consider using the PSS:NICU-16 in studies of parents of term and near-term surgical newborns and studies where a more parsimonious model of the PSS:NICU may be preferred.