Examining the Psychometric Properties of the Perceived Stress Scale in Black Women During the Perinatal Period Using Explanatory Rasch Models

Objective This study examined the psychometric properties of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) using Explanatory Item Response Models (EIRMs) to better understand the factors influencing self-reported stress in an understudied population: Black pregnant and postpartum women in the U.S.Method Rasch models for polytomous data were used to evaluate the psychometric properties of the PSS-10. The Linear Logistic Rasch Model (LLRM) and Latent Regression Rasch Model (LRRM) were fit to investigate the influence of item covariates (item content) and person covariates (levels of education and relationship status) on reporting stress.Results The PSS-10 demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties for this population. We found that education level, marital status, and item content significantly affected the level of perceived stress among this target population.Conclusion The EIRM framework is a promising approach for evaluating the PSS-10, emphasizing the need to refine stress assessments and tailor interventions to accurately measure stress in this population.