Psychometric evaluation of the Chinese version of the desire to avoid pregnancy scale among emerging adults in China

Background Measures of fertility preference or intention, particularly those focused on fertility prevention, are increasingly needed in reproductive health, especially in countries such as China, which face challenges, such as declining fertility rates, an aging population and unintended pregnancies among young adults. This was the first study to take initial steps in addressing these issues by translating, validating and examining the latent structure of the unidimensional Desire to Avoid Pregnancy (DAP) scale, which has been shown to predict contraceptive use and pregnancy. Methods We conducted an online survey among emerging adults in China using convenience sampling. A total of 893 participants completed the survey. Psychometric properties were examined by assessing internal consistency, structural validity (via exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis) and convergent validity. Results A three-factor structure of the 13-item Chinese version of the DAP scale was identified (AIC = 12,569.76), outperforming the one-factor model (AIC = 13824.834), with satisfactory reliability (AVE: F1 = 0.74, F2 = 0.74, F3 = 0.72; ρc: F1 = 0.90, F2 = 0.86, F3 = 0.76), accounting for 72.77% of the total observed variance. Convergent validity was supported by the expected positive correlations of the DAP scale scores with general anxiety and childbearing-specific worries, and a negative correlation with attitudes toward the importance of fertility for the future. Conclusion The three-factor DAP scale was shown to be a valid, reliable tool for researching reproductive health literacy and fertility intention among Chinese emerging adults. Its three subscale scores and patterns can capture ambivalent desire, facilitating more precise screening and assessment in reproductive health contexts.