P1000 - THE TRADITIONAL BELIEFS SCALE RELATED TO THE BREASTFEEDING PERIOD: A SCALE DEVELOPMENT STUDY

P1000

THE TRADITIONAL BELIEFS SCALE RELATED TO THE BREASTFEEDING PERIOD: A SCALE DEVELOPMENT STUDY

A. Perim Ketenciler¹, M. Metinoglu¹, A. Yalçın Irmak^1,*

¹Faculty of Health Sciences , Tekirdag Namik Kemal University, Tekirdağ, Türkiye

Rationale: Numerous studies have shown that traditional beliefs, shaped by cultural and societal norms, can impact breastfeeding success and duration, influencing maternal behaviors and infant feeding decisions. This study aims to develop and validate the "Traditional Beliefs Scale Related to the Breastfeeding Period" based on the perceptions of recently postpartum women regarding breastfeeding and maternal milk.

Methods: This methodological study included 352 volunteer women from Obstetrics and Healthy Child Follow-up Clinics of a tertiary hospital in Turkey. Participants were selected using non-probability sampling and met criteria of no visual or auditory impairments, having children under 3 years old, and breastfeeding for at least 6 months. Experts evaluated the content validity of the scale. Reliability was assessed using item-total score correlation, internal consistency, and split-half test correlation. Validity was evaluated through content validity index, concurrent criterion validity, and construct validity, using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis.

Results: The average age of the mothers in the study was 30.58±4.68, with 61.9% holding a university degree or higher. 53.4% had one child, 98.9% were married, and 60.2% were not employed in a salaried job. The scale's content validity index was r=.90, and Cronbach’s alpha was α=.73. The split-half test correlation was 0.515. EFA showed that the six-factor scale explained 53.51% of the total variance, with factor loadings ranging from .407 to .78. CFA fit indices were x²=595.64, df=309, RMSEA=.051, AGFI=.86, GFI=.89, CFI=.93, and SRMR=.062.

Conclusion: The developed scale has proven to be a valid and reliable tool. Applying it to larger, more diverse samples will offer a deeper understanding of the impact of traditional beliefs on breastfeeding duration and success

Disclosure of Interest: None declared