The development of the Maternal Breastfeeding Evaluation Scale

Area of Science:

• Maternal and Child Health
• Psychometrics
• Nursing Research

Background:

• Breastfeeding is crucial for maternal and infant well-being.
• Accurate measurement of breastfeeding experiences is essential for research and clinical practice.
• Existing instruments may not fully capture the multifaceted nature of breastfeeding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a reliable and valid scale to evaluate maternal breastfeeding experiences.
• To identify key factors influencing maternal breastfeeding attitudes and outcomes.
• To provide a psychometrically sound instrument for researchers and clinicians.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative research identified initial categories for scale development.
• Content validity was assessed using established psychometric procedures.
• A 56-item scale was administered to 442 breastfeeding women, with a subsample (n=28) completing a retest.
• Exploratory factor analysis and reliability analyses (Cronbach's alpha, test-retest correlation) were performed.

Main Results:

• Exploratory factor analysis yielded three factors: Maternal Enjoyment/Role Attainment, Infant Satisfaction/Growth, and Lifestyle/Maternal Body Image.
• A revised 30-item Maternal Breastfeeding Evaluation Scale (MBFES) demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha ≥ .80) and test-retest reliability (correlations ≥ .82).
• The three factors explained 38.5% of the variance in breastfeeding experiences.

Conclusions:

• The revised 30-item MBFES is a psychometrically sound instrument for measuring maternal breastfeeding experiences.
• The scale effectively captures maternal enjoyment, infant satisfaction, and lifestyle impacts.
• The MBFES can be utilized in diverse research and clinical settings to enhance breastfeeding support and outcomes.