Development of a Breastfeeding Effectiveness Scale (BES).

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Maternal-Child Health
• Lactation Research

Background:

• Effective breastfeeding is crucial for maternal and infant well-being in the early postpartum period.
• Existing tools may not adequately capture the multifaceted nature of breastfeeding effectiveness.
• A validated instrument is needed to assess breastfeeding success from the mother's perspective.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a breastfeeding effectiveness scale.
• To provide a reliable and valid measure for mothers in the early postpartum phase.
• To assess key components contributing to successful breastfeeding.

Main Methods:

• A conceptual framework was established based on properties of effective breastfeeding.
• Item generation involved literature review, data analysis, and interviews with breastfeeding mothers.
• A preliminary questionnaire was administered to 248 mothers, with data analyzed using factor analysis and reliability testing (Cronbach's α).

Main Results:

• Factor analysis identified 20 items across seven factors: mother's satisfaction, suckling, milk quantity assurance, infant's satisfaction, latching on, infant's feeding desire, and breastfeeding positioning.
• These seven factors explained 65.1% of the total variance.
• The overall scale demonstrated good reliability (Cronbach's α = .83), with factor reliability ranging from .44 to .75.

Conclusions:

• The developed breastfeeding effectiveness scale is a reliable and valid instrument.
• It is suitable for measuring breastfeeding effectiveness in mothers during the early postpartum period.
• This scale can aid healthcare providers in assessing and supporting breastfeeding mothers.