Psychometric analysis of Iowa infant feeding attitude scale to improve clinical use and efficacy among prenatal women in Canada

AlKusayer, Nouf Majed (2017) Psychometric analysis of Iowa infant feeding attitude scale to improve clinical use and efficacy among prenatal women in Canada. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

Breastfeeding is the optimal source of nutrition for newborns, and yet the rates of breastfeeding initiation and continuation in Canada, and specifically Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) are low. Maternal attitudes toward breastfeeding is the best predictor of breastfeeding behaviour, and can be assessed using the validated 17-item Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS). This thesis aimed to 1) reduce the IIFAS to a more manageable length while maintaining its validity and reliability and 2) determine optimal cut-off scores for both the original and reduced IIFAS with the objective being to increase its clinical usefulness in various settings. A 13-item psychometrically and conceptually sound IIFAS is proposed. Cut-off scores of 60 on the original scale and 45 on the reduced item IIFAS scale are the optimal cut-off scores to identify intention to breastfeed and infant feeding outcomes at one month postpartum in mothers in their 3rd trimester of pregnancy.

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