Translation and Validation Into French of a Maternal Satisfaction Scale Following a Cesarean Section (MSSCS)

Plain-language summary

Cesarean section is currently the most commonly performed surgical procedure worldwide, accounting for more than one-fifth of all deliveries in France. The experience of childbirth, particularly when it involves a cesarean section, is a significant life event with physical, psychological, and relational consequences. Many factors influence women's perceptions of this experience, including whether the procedure was planned or unexpected, the quality of analgesia, communication with healthcare providers, and the degree of involvement in decision-making. Conversely, a negative experience may impair the mother infant bond or delay postpartum recovery. The quality of anesthetic management is a major determinant of maternal satisfaction. Maternal satisfaction is widely recognized as an important indicator of healthcare quality. Its assessment requires a multidimensional approach. Although several tools exist in French to measure satisfaction during pregnancy or childbirth in general, none are specifically designed to evaluate the experience of cesarean section, with its particular features-especially those related to anesthesia. Scales such as Questionnaire for the Evaluation of the Childbirth Experience (QEVA) or Women's Views of Birth Labour Satisfaction Questionnaire (WOMBLSQ4) do not sufficiently address the specific characteristics of this procedure. The Maternal Satisfaction Scale for Caesarean Section (MSSCS), originally developed in English, is currently the only validated instrument specifically designed to assess women's satisfaction following a cesarean section. It covers the anesthetic, technical, psychological, and environmental dimensions of the procedure. To date, this scale has neither been translated nor validated in French. The availability of a validated French version of the MSSCS would improve the assessment of maternal experience in French-speaking settings and help identify concrete areas for improvement in anesthetic and obstetric care related to cesarean section.

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