Psychometric Evaluation of the Validity and Reliability of the Italian Version of the London Measure of Unplanned Pregnancy Amongst Postnatal Women


Smorti, M ORCID: 0000-0002-5867-9859, Christiansen, P, Barrett, G, Hall, JA, Ionio, C ORCID: 0000-0002-0163-3841, Ciuffo, G ORCID: 0000-0003-4031-0890, Landoni, M ORCID: 0000-0003-0082-1565, Della Vedova, AM ORCID: 0000-0002-3573-6451, Payne, E ORCID: 0009-0001-6214-6641, Richell, M et al (show 5 more authors) (2025) Psychometric Evaluation of the Validity and Reliability of the Italian Version of the London Measure of Unplanned Pregnancy Amongst Postnatal Women Healthcare Switzerland, 13 (16). 2052-. ISSN 2227-9032, 2227-9032

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Abstract

Background: Unplanned pregnancy is a public health issue and understanding women’s decision making aids practitioners in assessing fertility trends, contraception use, and family planning counselling. In Italy, Catholicism reinforces ‘natural reproduction’ and ‘traditional’ contraception, making it an ‘Imperfect Contraceptive Society.’ A valid and reliable measure of pregnancy intentionality is increasingly important, and the London Measure of Unplanned Pregnancy (LMUP) has proved effective. Objectives and Methods: This study comprised four stages: (1) English–Italian translation and back-translation to create the Italian version [LMUP-IT]; (2) online data collection from postnatal women; (3) evaluation of its psychometric properties (targeting, reliability, construct validity via CFA and measurement invariance with a UK sample, ‘known groups’ hypothesis testing); and (4) exploratory analysis of its associations with perinatal mental health. The sample comprised 450 postnatal women (M<inf>age</inf> = 33.6 ± 4.5). Results: The LMUP-IT was shown to be reliable (ωT = 0.81, α = 0.76), with acceptable targeting. Measurement invariance testing confirmed consistency with the UK sample in factor structure, loadings, intercepts, and errors. LMUP-IT scores significantly correlated with well-known indicators of perinatal mental health. Conclusions: Overall, the LMUP-IT is a reliable measure of pregnancy intention in Italian for postpartum women. Understanding pregnancy intention will help healthcare professionals tailor interventions to better support women’s mental health during the transition to motherhood.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: London measure of unplanned pregnancy, invariance, measurement, perinatal mental health, pregnancy intention, psychometrics, unplanned pregnancy
Divisions: Faculty of Health & Life Sciences
Faculty of Health & Life Sciences > Inst. Population Health
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 21 Aug 2025 10:46
Last Modified: 22 Jan 2026 11:48
DOI: 10.3390/healthcare13162052
Open Access URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13162052
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URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3194121
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