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Development of a Revised and Abbreviated Version of the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ-R): First U.S. Validation and Association to Child Outcomes

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Title: Development of a Revised and Abbreviated Version of the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ-R): First U.S. Validation and Association to Child Outcomes
Language: English
Authors: Andréane Lavallée (ORCID 0000-0001-5702-3084), Jennifer M. Warmingham (ORCID 0000-0003-4215-5126), Mark A. Reimers (ORCID 0000-0001-9023-2785), Paul Curtin, Margaret H. Kyle (ORCID 0000-0003-0771-827X), Judy Austin (ORCID 0000-0003-4348-8942), Seonjoo Lee (ORCID 0000-0003-3177-6357), Tyson Barker (ORCID 0000-0001-5937-7433), Maha Hussain, Elena Arduin, Imaal Ahm, Ginger Atwood, Sharon Ettinger, Grace Smotrich, J. Blake Turner, Prudence W. Fisher (ORCID 0000-0002-7425-5183), Rachel Marsh (ORCID 0000-0003-2439-6305), Dani Dumitriu (ORCID 0000-0002-7873-5192)
Source: Infant Mental Health Journal: Infancy and Early Childhood. 2026 47(1).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 16
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (DHHS/NIH)
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (DHHS/NIH)
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) (DHHS)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (DHHS/PHS)
Contract Number: K99HD115784
R01MH126531
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Test Construction, Infants, Parent Child Relationship, Mothers, Questionnaires, Test Validity, Depression (Psychology), Child Development, Social Development, Emotional Development, Psychometrics, Factor Structure, Test Reliability, English, Spanish, Child Behavior, Individual Characteristics
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Ages and Stages Questionnaires, Child Behavior Checklist
DOI: 10.1002/imhj.70052
ISSN: 0163-9641
1097-0355
Abstract: The postpartum bonding questionnaire (PBQ) is a maternal-reported 25-item measure of bonding, available in 15 languages, and widely used for clinical and research purposes in the United States (U.S.) and across the globe. Nonetheless, its putative 4-factor structure initially proposed in 2001 has never generalized or been replicated in other samples, nor has it been studied in U.S. populations. Using a U.S.-based sample of 610 English-speaking mothers who completed the PBQ 4 months postpartum--mean 32.51 ± 5.25 years old and 47.5% first-time mothers--the initial goal of this study was to confirm the 4-factor/25-item structure of the PBQ. Aligned with other published studies, our confirmatory factor analysis did not support the 4-factor/25-item structure. We then used exploratory factor analysis which supported the creation of a 1-factor/14-item abbreviated measure, the PBQ-R. Unlike previous versions of the PBQ, the PBQ-R is scored so that higher scores indicate stronger bonding. The validity of the PBQ-R was supported by its high internal consistency in this sample (w = 0.89), and correlations with maternal depression ([rho] = -0.46) and child neurodevelopment ([rho] = 0.11 to [rho] = 22) and socio-emotional symptoms ([rho] = -0.22 to [rho] = -0.33). The new unidimensional shorter PBQ-R is suitable for use in the U.S. as a measure of general mother-infant bonding.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1493762
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Andréane+Lavallée%22">Andréane Lavallée</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5702-3084">0000-0001-5702-3084</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jennifer+M%2E+Warmingham%22">Jennifer M. Warmingham</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4215-5126">0000-0003-4215-5126</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mark+A%2E+Reimers%22">Mark A. Reimers</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9023-2785">0000-0001-9023-2785</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Paul+Curtin%22">Paul Curtin</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Margaret+H%2E+Kyle%22">Margaret H. Kyle</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0771-827X">0000-0003-0771-827X</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Judy+Austin%22">Judy Austin</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4348-8942">0000-0003-4348-8942</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Seonjoo+Lee%22">Seonjoo Lee</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3177-6357">0000-0003-3177-6357</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Tyson+Barker%22">Tyson Barker</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5937-7433">0000-0001-5937-7433</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Maha+Hussain%22">Maha Hussain</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Elena+Arduin%22">Elena Arduin</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Imaal+Ahm%22">Imaal Ahm</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ginger+Atwood%22">Ginger Atwood</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sharon+Ettinger%22">Sharon Ettinger</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Grace+Smotrich%22">Grace Smotrich</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22J%2E+Blake+Turner%22">J. Blake Turner</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Prudence+W%2E+Fisher%22">Prudence W. Fisher</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7425-5183">0000-0002-7425-5183</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Rachel+Marsh%22">Rachel Marsh</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2439-6305">0000-0003-2439-6305</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Dani+Dumitriu%22">Dani Dumitriu</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7873-5192">0000-0002-7873-5192</externalLink>)
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (DHHS/NIH)<br />National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (DHHS/NIH)<br />Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) (DHHS)<br />Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (DHHS/PHS)
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  Data: The postpartum bonding questionnaire (PBQ) is a maternal-reported 25-item measure of bonding, available in 15 languages, and widely used for clinical and research purposes in the United States (U.S.) and across the globe. Nonetheless, its putative 4-factor structure initially proposed in 2001 has never generalized or been replicated in other samples, nor has it been studied in U.S. populations. Using a U.S.-based sample of 610 English-speaking mothers who completed the PBQ 4 months postpartum--mean 32.51 ± 5.25 years old and 47.5% first-time mothers--the initial goal of this study was to confirm the 4-factor/25-item structure of the PBQ. Aligned with other published studies, our confirmatory factor analysis did not support the 4-factor/25-item structure. We then used exploratory factor analysis which supported the creation of a 1-factor/14-item abbreviated measure, the PBQ-R. Unlike previous versions of the PBQ, the PBQ-R is scored so that higher scores indicate stronger bonding. The validity of the PBQ-R was supported by its high internal consistency in this sample (w = 0.89), and correlations with maternal depression ([rho] = -0.46) and child neurodevelopment ([rho] = 0.11 to [rho] = 22) and socio-emotional symptoms ([rho] = -0.22 to [rho] = -0.33). The new unidimensional shorter PBQ-R is suitable for use in the U.S. as a measure of general mother-infant bonding.
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