PARENTAL BREASTFEEDING BEHAVIOR AND ATTITUDE QUESTIONNAIRE

Marija Čatipović1, Josip Grgurić2, Rajko Fureš3,4

  • 1Marija Čatipović Specialist Pediatric Clinic, Bjelovar, Croatia.

Acta Clinica Croatica
|February 2, 2024
PubMed

Insights

This study developed a reliable and valid questionnaire to assess parental breastfeeding behaviors and attitudes. The tool aids in evaluating community-based breastfeeding support programs and promoting infant health.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Maternal and Child Health
  • Health Education

Background:

  • Effective community-based breastfeeding support and promotion require validated assessment tools.
  • Existing methods may not adequately capture parental behaviors and attitudes towards breastfeeding.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate a questionnaire measuring parental breastfeeding behaviors and attitudes.
  • To create a reliable instrument for evaluating breastfeeding promotion and support programs.

Main Methods:

  • Item selection based on literature review, expert consultation (pediatricians, lecturers), and parent input.
  • Pilot testing of a working version online (February-May 2019).
  • Statistical analysis including item analysis, principal component analysis, Cronbach's alpha, and logistic regression.

Main Results:

  • A 15-item behavioral scale with good internal consistency was retained.
  • A 17-item attitude scale demonstrated a four-factor structure, explaining 46.11% of variance.
  • Cronbach's alpha of 0.88 indicated acceptable internal consistency for the attitude scale.

Conclusions:

  • The final questionnaire is a reliable and valid instrument for collecting breastfeeding data.
  • The tool can evaluate changes in parental behaviors and attitudes from support programs.
  • It can assist professionals in designing effective breastfeeding initiatives.

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