Testing the Turkish version of the breastfeeding literacy assessment instrument: a validity and reliability study

Abstract

Background: Breastfeeding literacy is an essential component of maternal and child health, as it enables women to make informed decisions about breastfeeding practices. The objective of this study was to adapt the Breastfeeding Literacy Assessment Instrument for women in the perinatal period into Turkish and to conduct validity and reliability analyses. Methods: This study was conducted face-to-face between September 2023 and February 2024 and involved 470 women in the perinatal period. The data were analysed and evaluated using factor analysis, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, and item–total correlations. The level of statistical significance was accepted at 0.05. Results: The scale has 26 items within four subdimensions, namely Access, Understand, Appraise, and Apply. According to the factor analysis, the scale explains 55.65% of the variance with four factors. While the Cronbach’s alpha value for the scale as a whole is 0.935, it varies between 0.773 and 0.860 for the subdimensions. The fit indices are as follows: χ2 = 613.82, p < 0.001, χ2/SD = 2.09, GFI = 0.82, CFI = 0.88, and RMSEA = 0.069 (95% CI: 0.061–0.077). The model fit of the Turkish version of the Breastfeeding Literacy Assessment Instrument is at an acceptable level and the scale maintained its original four-factor structure, demonstrating a robust factor structure. Conclusion: The Breastfeeding Literacy Assessment Instrument is a validated and reliable tool for the assessment of breastfeeding literacy among Turkish women in the perinatal period, and it can be used by health professionals.