Development of the Korean Paternal-Fetal Attachment Scale (K-PAFAS).

Purpose: This study is a methodological study aimed to develop the Korean Paternal-Fetal Attachment Scale (K-PAFAS) to measure the level of attachment between the father and the expected baby, and to examine its validity and reliability.

Methods: The K-PAFAS was developed in four steps. The first step involved derivation of the initial items through review of the literature and in-depth interviews with 10 expectant fathers. The second step was the process of expert panel review, examining content validity for the initial items. In the third step, items were examined for their usability through a preliminary survey with 30 expectant fathers. As the last step, the final K-PAFAS was applied to 200 participants and examined for its psychometric profile.

Results: K-PAFAS consisted of 20 items, and used a 5-point Likert scale with the total score ranging from 20 points to 100 points. A higher score indicated a higher level of attachment between the father and his unborn child. The K-PAFAS was composed of four factors. The K-PAFAS demonstrated satisfactory criterion validity, which was supported by its significant correlations with the Paternal Antenatal Attachment Scale, the Korean Dyadic Adjustment Scale, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale. The Cronbach α of the K-PAFAS was .89. In test-retest reliability, the K-PAFAS showed a correlation coefficient of .91.

Conclusion: The K-PAFAS demonstrated initial validity and reliability. It was short, and relatively easy for use in evaluating the degree of paternal-fetal attachment in the antenatal management stage.