The Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale: Analysis of Reliability and Validity¹

TLDR

The study describes the development of the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS). The authors selected 17 items from 125 postpartum women, then assessed reliability and validity, replicated the analyses with 130 independent participants, and examined whether IIFAS scores predict breastfeeding duration in 725 women. The study discusses limitations and suggests future applications of the IIFAS for research on infant‑feeding attitudes.

Abstract

Development of the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS) is described. In Study 1, a set of 17 items was selected on the basis of responses by 125 postpartum women. Analyses of the reliability and validity were then conducted. In Study 2, these analyses were replicated using data from an independent sample of 130 postpartum women. Study 3 involved an analysis of the ability of scores on the IIFAS to predict duration of breast‐feeding among a sample of 725 women who had initiated that method of feeding their babies while in the hospital. Limitations of this research and possible future uses of the IIFAS in studies addressing the determinants and consequences of infant‐feeding attitudes are discussed.