Nine databases were searched during October 2014 through February 2015. After meeting inclusion/exclusion criteria, article information was extracted independently by two authors, compared, and differences were resolved through discussions.
The final sample included 23 published articles covering 19 scales. Seventeen were in the domain of depression, and one each in physical activity and dietary domains. None was found in the domains of body image, smoking, or alcohol use. The number of scale items varied from 2 to 35. The majority of scales were originally designed for postpartum women, and validated in one or two postpartum studies with samples of predominantly adult women. If reported, scale reliability coefficients were generally 0.80 or greater and validity coefficients of 0.70 or greater. Five depression scales had favorable sensitivity and specificity using standard cutpoints, but only one was tested across adolescent, low-income, and predominantly ethnic minority postpartum populations.
No U.S.-validated postpartum scales were found for body image, smoking, or alcohol use. Most scales had limited validity testing, and validation was in predominantly advantaged samples. Further scale development and testing are recommended.