Assessing the Psychometric Strength of the Chinese Version of the Existential Breastfeeding Difficulty Scale: A Dual Approach Using Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory

IF 2.6 3区医学 Q1 NURSING

Midwifery Pub Date : 2025-01-29 DOI:10.1016/j.midw.2025.104313

Xiaoke Jiang , Wenyu Liang , Haibo Xu , Weiwei Liang , Lina Palmér , Fang Deng , Caixin Yin , Ronghua Li

{"title":"Assessing the Psychometric Strength of the Chinese Version of the Existential Breastfeeding Difficulty Scale: A Dual Approach Using Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory","authors":"Xiaoke Jiang , Wenyu Liang , Haibo Xu , Weiwei Liang , Lina Palmér , Fang Deng , Caixin Yin , Ronghua Li","doi":"10.1016/j.midw.2025.104313","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Problem</h3><div>Challenges faced during the initial phase of breastfeeding contribute significantly to the cessation of exclusive breastfeeding among mothers within the first 6 months. Therefore, evaluating these challenges from a psychological perspective has immense clinical and research importance.</div></div><div><h3>Background</h3><div>The Existential Breastfeeding Difficulty Scale (ExBreastS) is a self-reported questionnaire designed to assess the psychological challenges of mothers during early breastfeeding. Its reliability and validity has been tested in Sweden and Turkey based on the classical test theory.</div></div><div><h3>Aim</h3><div>This study aims to translate and culturally adapt the ExBreastS into Chinese, while incorporating the classical test theory and item response theory to comprehensively evaluate the scale’s psychometric properties.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This was a cross-sectional study. After completing the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the ExBreastS, 520 participants were recruited between January and April 2024. The participants, were 0-3 months postpartum, had singleton-term deliveries, were breastfeeding, and completed the Chinese version of the ExBreastS. Afterwards, the psychometric properties of the ExBreastS were thoroughly evaluated.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>The Cronbach’s α coefficient for the ExBreastS was 0.884, with subscale coefficients ranging from 0.757 to 0.824. The difficulty parameters for each item ranged from –1.125 to 4.072, and the discrimination parameters ranged from 1.048 to 3.339. Furthermore, this scale exhibited substantial measurement information when latent trait levels were between –2 and 4.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion and conclusion</h3><div>The Chinese version of the ExBreastS is reliable for evaluating early breastfeeding challenges in mothers, and could aid healthcare professionals in screening and identifying mothers at risk of discontinuing breastfeeding.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18495,"journal":{"name":"Midwifery","volume":"143 ","pages":"Article 104313"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Midwifery","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0266613825000324","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"NURSING","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Problem

Challenges faced during the initial phase of breastfeeding contribute significantly to the cessation of exclusive breastfeeding among mothers within the first 6 months. Therefore, evaluating these challenges from a psychological perspective has immense clinical and research importance.

Background

The Existential Breastfeeding Difficulty Scale (ExBreastS) is a self-reported questionnaire designed to assess the psychological challenges of mothers during early breastfeeding. Its reliability and validity has been tested in Sweden and Turkey based on the classical test theory.

Aim

This study aims to translate and culturally adapt the ExBreastS into Chinese, while incorporating the classical test theory and item response theory to comprehensively evaluate the scale’s psychometric properties.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study. After completing the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the ExBreastS, 520 participants were recruited between January and April 2024. The participants, were 0-3 months postpartum, had singleton-term deliveries, were breastfeeding, and completed the Chinese version of the ExBreastS. Afterwards, the psychometric properties of the ExBreastS were thoroughly evaluated.

Findings

The Cronbach’s α coefficient for the ExBreastS was 0.884, with subscale coefficients ranging from 0.757 to 0.824. The difficulty parameters for each item ranged from –1.125 to 4.072, and the discrimination parameters ranged from 1.048 to 3.339. Furthermore, this scale exhibited substantial measurement information when latent trait levels were between –2 and 4.

Discussion and conclusion

The Chinese version of the ExBreastS is reliable for evaluating early breastfeeding challenges in mothers, and could aid healthcare professionals in screening and identifying mothers at risk of discontinuing breastfeeding.

查看原文本刊更多论文

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Midwifery 医学-护理

CiteScore

4.50

自引率

7.40%

发文量

221

审稿时长

13.4 weeks

期刊介绍： Midwifery publishes the latest peer reviewed international research to inform the safety, quality, outcomes and experiences of pregnancy, birth and maternity care for childbearing women, their babies and families. The journal’s publications support midwives and maternity care providers to explore and develop their knowledge, skills and attitudes informed by best available evidence. Midwifery provides an international, interdisciplinary forum for the publication, dissemination and discussion of advances in evidence, controversies and current research, and promotes continuing education through publication of systematic and other scholarly reviews and updates. Midwifery articles cover the cultural, clinical, psycho-social, sociological, epidemiological, education, managerial, workforce, organizational and technological areas of practice in preconception, maternal and infant care. The journal welcomes the highest quality scholarly research that employs rigorous methodology. Midwifery is a leading international journal in midwifery and maternal health with a current impact factor of 1.861 (© Thomson Reuters Journal Citation Reports 2016) and employs a double-blind peer review process.