Validation of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule‐II for Measuring Women With a History of Potentially Life‐Threatening Maternal Conditions at Six Months Postpartum in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) is a popular tool for evaluating functioning and disability in a range of population demographics and medical situations. However, very little is known about the WHODAS 2.0's validity and reliability, particularly when dealing with potentially life‐threatening maternal conditions (PLTCs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of the WHODAS 2.0 Tigrigna version. Methods This cross‐sectional study was conducted in Tigray, northern Ethiopia, from December 15 to 20, 2023. Following translation and back translation, women who had experienced PLTCs during a recent pregnancy, childbirth, or postpartum period were administered the 36‐item WHODAS 2.0 in Tigrigna version 6 months after the childbirth. In total, 121 women with a history of PLTCs participated. Cronbach′s α was used to evaluate internal consistency in all six WHODAS 2.0 domains, while Spearman′s correlation coefficient was used to evaluate convergent validity. With confirmatory factor analysis, construct validity was also examined. Results All domain scores of the Tigrigna version of the WHODAS 2.0 indicated excellent internal consistency ( α = 0.917–0.978 for 36 items and α = 0.874–0.940 for 12 items), while the Cronbach′s α coefficients for the summary score were 0.981 and 0.952 for 36 and 12 items, respectively. The convergent validity between the 36‐item and 12‐item WHODAS 2.0 showed a strong correlation between similar constructs ( r = 0.909–0.981). Conclusion Despite the small sample limitation, the WHODAS 2.0 tool adapted to the Tigrigna version indicated an acceptable reliability and validity and therefore could be applied to women with a history of PLTCs at 6 months postpartum.