Between June 26 and 29, 2024, the XV Spanish Sociology Congress was held in Seville, where Prof. María José Rodríguez presented the paper “Forgotten Grievers: Early Spontaneous Abortions and Their Measurement for Better Respectful and Supportive Care.” This presentation outlined the content validation process of three structured instruments (questionnaires) designed to collect data from pregnant women and couples who have experienced an early loss, as well as from the professionals who care for them.
Measuring the quality of care for women and couples who have experienced a loss (spontaneous abortions) is complex due to the involvement of various dimensions such as communication, decision-making, and the response provided by medical centers. As part of the research project “Early Reproductive Losses: From Invisible Physical and Emotional Distress to Possible Personal, Family, and Social Grief”—funded by the Fundación La Caixa’s Conecta Call (2022-24)—a scale (adapted for women and couples) was developed with the goal of gathering evidence to support better practices in the care of losses occurring before 22 weeks of gestation.
A scale is considered valid if it accurately measures the reality of those experiencing a loss. To ensure a high degree of reliability, the scale underwent a technical validation process. This involved researchers from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, who provided qualitative evidence from interviews and observations at health centers (apparent evidence), and researchers from the University of Alicante, who, based on these findings and a literature review, designed a battery of 60 questions. These questions were then evaluated by a panel of experts (content validity). In September, the reliability and statistical validity of the scale will be assessed based on responses from women and couples who have experienced an early loss in the past four years.