Reliability and validity of the breastfeeding instrument development of measures of breastfeeding intention and its relationship to optimal breastfeeding behavior: A preliminary study

This study generated an instrument for assessing mother's breastfeeding intention and promoting optimal breastfeeding behavior. The association between mother's breastfeeding intention and optimal breastfeeding behavior was also determined. The study sample consisted of 350 mothers attending postnatal clinics from a Provincial General Hospital. Mother's intention to optimally breastfeed was assessed by administration of a breastfeeding intention questionnaire of Likert scale developed in this study. Optimal breastfeeding behavior conversely, was determined by the three measures of breastfeeding intention. The newly developed instrument was found to be valid and reliable. In addition, the results showed that mothers’ breastfeeding intention was positively and significantly related to their practise of optimal breastfeeding behavior.