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Psychometric testing of the breastfeeding self‐efficacy scale‐short form in a sample of Black women in the United States
Author(s) -
McCarterSpaulding Deborah E.,
Dennis CindyLee
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
research in nursing and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1098-240X
pISSN - 0160-6891
DOI - 10.1002/nur.20368
Subject(s) - breastfeeding , medicine , scale (ratio) , construct validity , black women , self efficacy , psychometrics , breast feeding , demography , internal consistency , clinical psychology , psychology , social psychology , pediatrics , gender studies , physics , quantum mechanics , sociology
The benefits of breastfeeding increase with duration and exclusivity, but significant racial disparities exist in breastfeeding rates. Breastfeeding self‐efficacy, as measured by the Breastfeeding Self‐Efficacy Scale Short‐Form (BSES‐SF), is a significant predictor of breastfeeding outcomes in diverse samples. The purpose of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the BSES‐SF in Black women in the US. The psychometric characteristics were consistent with previous studies, including internal consistency, comparison with contrasted groups, and correlation with the construct of breastfeeding network support. Breastfeeding self‐efficacy significantly predicted breastfeeding at 4 and 24 weeks postpartum. The results are consistent with previous research, and they suggest the BSES‐SF could be used to identify women at risk for prematurely discontinuing breastfeeding. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 33:111–119, 2010