THE PSYCHOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TURKISH VERSION OF THE WORKPLACE BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT SCALE

Aim: This study aims to assess the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Workplace Breastfeeding Support Scale.

Method: The study sample consisted of 250 working mothers who visited a pediatric polyclinic with their 3- to 12-month-old babies and agreed to participate in this study. Language, content, construct validity, reliability, time consistency, and internal consistency analyses were performed in the adaptation of this 12-item scale into Turkish.

Results: The Cronbach's alpha (α) reliability coefficient for the entire scale was .82. The Cronbach's alpha (α) values for its four subscales were .82, .75, .70 and .68. The item-total score analysis correlations ranged from .221 to .701 (p<0.05). Exploratory factor analysis found that the scale accounted for 70.14% of the total variance. The factor loadings of the scale's items ranged from .673 to .853. Confirmatory factor analysis found that the scale's factor loadings ranged from .51 to .88. The fit indices (x2/SD, AGFI, GFI, NFI, RMSEA and SRMR) were 2.207, 0.890, 0.930, 0.940, 0.070 and 0.067, respectively, which indicated acceptable fit. The CFI and NNFI values were 0.970 and 0.960, which indicated a good fit. The data indicated a good fit, and the four-factor model was statistically significant and valid (p<0.05).

Conclusion: The analyses found that the Workplace Breastfeeding Support Scale can be considered a valid and reliable scale for Turkish society. This study recommends that the Workplace Breastfeeding Support Scale should be used by midwives, health care professionals and social workers to assess workplace breastfeeding support because it may be useful for supporting and promoting breastfeeding.