Translation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation into French of the Birth Satisfaction Scale – Revised (BSS-R)

Anthony Pernoud,1 Nicole Jastrow,2 Caroline J Hollins Martin,3 Colin R Martin,4 Hugo Bothorel1 1Research Department, La Tour Hospital, Meyrin, Geneva, Switzerland; 2Gynecology and Obstetrics Unit, La Tour Hospital, Meyrin, Geneva, Switzerland; 3School of Health and Social Care, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK; 4Institute for Health and Wellbeing, University of Suffolk, Ipswich, UKCorrespondence: Anthony Pernoud, Research Department, La Tour Hospital, Meyrin, Geneva, Switzerland, Tel +41 22 719 78 74, Email [email protected]: The Birth Satisfaction Scale – Revised (BSS-R) is a widely used patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) for assessing childbirth experience. However, no French translation and adaption currently exists, limiting its use in French-speaking populations. The objective of this study was to translate and adapt the BSS-R into French (Fr-BSS-R).Patients and Methods: The questionnaire was translated and culturally adapted using a structured 10-step procedure in line with the guidelines of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). During the cognitive debriefing stage, 15 mothers evaluated each item, scoring their level of comprehension on a scale from 1 to 10.Results: The French version was very well understood by the 15 mothers, with a mean comprehension score of 9.5 ± 1.1 out of 10. Both forward and backward translations were very consistent and considered accurate by the original developer. Five ratings out of 150 (3%) were < 7 and concerned items 1, 3, 8 and 9. Comments prompted the authors to slightly modify the French translation produced to improve semantic equivalence.Conclusion: This work presents the creation of a French adaptation of the BSS-R (Fr-BSS-R), developed in accordance with ISPOR guidelines for translation and cross-cultural adaptation, thereby enabling its application in French-speaking populations. Future research should investigate the psychometric properties of the Fr-BSS-R to support its broader use in French-speaking populations.Plain Language Summary: Giving birth is a major event in a woman’s life. If the experience goes badly, it can affect her mental health and overall well-being. That’s why healthcare professionals use questionnaires to understand how mothers feel about their childbirth experience. One widely used questionnaire is the Birth Satisfaction Scale – Revised (BSS-R), which helps measure how satisfied women are with their childbirth.Until now, this tool was not available in French. Our study aimed to create a French version, so that it can be used with French-speaking mothers. To do this, we followed a well-established process recommended by international experts. We translated the BSS-R into French, made sure it made sense culturally, and tested it with 15 mothers to check how well they understood it.The French version was clear and easy to understand, with mothers giving it an average score of 9.5 out of 10 for clarity. Based on their feedback, we made small adjustments to a few questions to improve their meaning in French.Now that the French version is available, it can help healthcare providers better understand how French-speaking mothers feel about their birth experience. This can lead to better care, support, and health outcomes for both mothers and their babies.Keywords: BSS-R, childbirth, pregnancy, translation, cross-cultural adaptation, questionnaire, PROM, French