Re-Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale in a Hungarian Sample.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the factor structure of the Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale (MFAS) and investigate its psychosocial and demographic correlates in a Hungarian sample.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey.

SETTING: Sonography clinic in a metropolitan area.

PARTICIPANTS: One hundred fourteen women over the age of 18 years in the second or third trimesters of pregnancy.

METHODS: Participants completed the Hungarian version of the MFAS and provided information on demographic, socioeconomic, and pregnancy-related factors.

RESULTS: The internal consistency of the MFAS total scale was acceptable (Cronbach's alpha = .87). However, the reliability of the five subscales was low (alpha coefficients between .57 and .74), and the original five-factor model was not supported by the factor analyses. Married mothers had higher scores on the MFAS than participants who were unmarried, and uncertainty about the sex of the fetus was associated with lower attachment scores. Furthermore, gestational age showed a positive correlation with MFAS scores. No significant association was found between the total score on the MFAS and such factors as age, income, or education of the parents; whether the pregnancy was planned; method of conception; number of children born previously; prior perinatal losses; and circumstances of the mother's own birth.

CONCLUSION: Our study showed that marital status, uncertainty about the sex of the fetus, and gestational age were associated with maternal-fetal attachment; however, more detailed analysis was not possible because of the instability of the subscales of the instrument. Further research is warranted on the underlying factors related to maternal-fetal attachment.