Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Chinese version of the Maternal Adaptation Scale: a methodological study

Purpose: This study aimed to translate the Korean version of the Maternal Adaptation Scale into Chinese, develop the Chinese version of the Maternal Adaptation Scale (C-MAS), and evaluate its reliability and validity among Chinese women.Methods: This cross-sectional methodological study evaluated the reliability and validity of the C-MAS. A total of 500 primiparous and multiparous Chinese women who visited hospitals in Weifang and Hebi, China, for infant vaccination or postpartum care were included. Psychometric evaluation of the C-MAS included confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), correlation analysis, known-groups comparison, and reliability analysis.Results: CFA provided empirical support for the six-factor model of the C-MAS, and all 26 retained items had factor loadings greater than 0.40. Model fit indices supported the construct validity of the C-MAS, and reliability analyses indicated strong internal consistency across items (Cronbach’s α=.96). Criterion-related validity was supported by significant correlations between maternal adaptation and parenting efficacy (r=.39, p<.001), infant-care social support (r=.14, p<.001), and postpartum depression (r=−.39, p<.001). Known-groups validity was also supported, as women without depressive symptoms had significantly higher maternal adaptation scores than women with depressive symptoms. Measurement invariance testing demonstrated consistent psychometric properties across primiparous and multiparous women, indicating that the scale measured the same construct in both groups.Conclusion: The C-MAS is a psychometrically sound instrument with good reliability and validity for assessing maternal adaptation among Chinese postpartum women. Its applicability to both primiparous and multiparous women supports its use in postpartum research and clinical practice in China.