Breastfeeding and complementary feeding knowledge scale: a validated tool for health sciences education

Area of Science:

• Health Sciences Education
• Nutritional Sciences
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Assessing student knowledge in breastfeeding and complementary feeding is crucial for public health.
• Existing measurement tools may not adequately capture the nuances of this knowledge domain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the "Breastfeeding and Complementary Feeding Knowledge Scale" for health sciences students.
• To evaluate the psychometric properties of this newly developed scale.

Main Methods:

• The study involved 2173 health sciences students.
• Scale development utilized literature reviews and expert opinions, followed by Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA).
• Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega; criterion validity was examined through correlations with health literacy scales.

Main Results:

• The scale demonstrated acceptable construct validity and reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.768, McDonald's omega = 0.772).
• Confirmatory Factor Analysis indicated a good model fit.
• Correlations with other scales showed very weak positive associations, suggesting distinct measurement properties.

Conclusions:

• The "Breastfeeding and Complementary Feeding Knowledge Scale" is a psychometrically sound instrument.
• The scale is suitable for evaluating knowledge levels in health sciences students.
• It can inform educational program development and curriculum enhancement in infant and young child feeding practices.