Aims: Pregnancy-related low back pain is common, yet often exacerbated by inadequate preventive behaviors. Although HBM-based questionnaires have been developed for other pregnancy-related health behaviors, a questionnaire specifically assessing beliefs about pregnancy-related LBP prevention was needed. This study aimed to develop and psychometrically evaluate a specialized questionnaire to enable targeted, evidence-based preventive interventions.
Instrument & Methods: This two-phase methodological study in 2025-2026 combined qualitative instrument development and cross-sectional validation. Phase one generated an HBM-based item pool through a literature review and 10 qualitative interviews, followed by face and content validation (CVR, CVI, Impact Scores). Phase two evaluated psychometric properties among 282 pregnant women; construct validity was assessed via exploratory factor analysis after KMO and Bartlett’s tests. Reliability and stability were examined using Cronbach’s alpha, McDonald’s omega, and intraclass correlation coefficients (two-week interval).
Findings: Content validity refined the scale from 37 to 34 items. Exploratory factor analysis (KMO=0.863, p<0.001) extracted six HBM factors explaining 52.65% of the variance, resulting in a final 29-item scale (loadings: 0.338–0.898) with floor and ceiling effects below 10% for all subscales. Subscales showed high internal consistency (alpha: 0.736–0.906; omega: 0.740–0.906) and moderate to excellent stability (ICC: 0.83–0.91). Inter-construct correlations (r=−0.136 to 0.504) suggested distinct subscales.
Conclusion: The PLBP-Q demonstrates satisfactory psychometric properties for assessing health beliefs related to pregnancy-associated low back pain. Its six-factor structure aligns with the HBM, offering a theoretical framework to guide future maternal health research and targeted interventions. However, longitudinal studies are warranted to establish its predictive validity for long-term behavior change.