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Lactation Consultant Certification Candidates: The Influence of Background Characteristics on Test Scores
Author(s) -
Riordan Jan,
Auerbach Kathleen G.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
birth
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.233
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1523-536X
pISSN - 0730-7659
DOI - 10.1111/j.1523-536x.1987.tb01492.x
Subject(s) - certification , test (biology) , breastfeeding , league , medicine , family medicine , socioeconomic status , lactation , psychology , demography , nursing , pediatrics , environmental health , pregnancy , population , management , paleontology , physics , genetics , astronomy , sociology , biology , economics
To identify factors of professional experience, education, and socioeconomic background that might predict high scores on the examination given by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners, 135 (52.2%) of those tested in 1985, and 209 (94%) of those tested in 1986 completed a questionnaire after the six‐hour test. The percentage of candidates who passed the examination was 94.6 in 1985 and 93.2 in 1986. The candidates’ mean years of experience in counseling breastfeeding mothers was 10. Nearly all had had one year of college; half had baccalaureate or master's degrees in nursing. Three‐quarters in 1985 stated that their primary affiliation was with La Leche League International, whereas only 41 percent claimed this affiliation in 1986. We conclude that in the first two years candidates scored unusually high in this examination and that in future years fewer candidates will have the experience of these initial groups.