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Background: Research gaps exist with regard to paternal attitudes towards breastfeeding and the association between fathers' attitudes and the type of breastfeeding., Research Aims: (1): To analyze the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale in fathers, and (2) to examine the association between fathers' attitudes and type of breastfeeding., Method: We used a cross-sectional study design to analyze the scale's psychometric properties and performance., Results: A total of 639 fathers participated in the study. The mean age was 35.83 years ( SD  = 4.65) and 67.3% ( n  = 430) were married or in a civil partnership. We observed an adequate fit in the confirmatory factor analysis: TLI = 0.96, CFI = 0.97 and RMSEA = 0.05. The overall internal consistency was 0.76. Between 1-6 months, 48% ( n  = 307) of participants' babies were exclusively breastfed, 35.2% ( n  = 225) were partially breastfed, and 16.7% ( n  = 107) were exclusively formula fed. Statistically significant differences were shown in attitudes towards breastfeeding, depending on the type of breastfeeding, between 1 and 6 months ( F  = 54.67; p  < .001). Fathers who reported that their baby had been exclusively breastfed scored higher on attitudes towards breastfeeding. Statistically significant differences were also found between partial breastfeeding and formula feeding., Conclusions: The Spanish version of the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring paternal attitudes towards breastfeeding.

Background: The Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS) was developed to measure maternal attitudes toward infant feeding, but a number of validated studies on the IIFAS found that it was subject to methodological limitations., Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the IIFAS among a multiethnic population in Singapore., Methods: A cross-sectional research design was used on a sample of 417 antenatal women. The internal consistency and stability of the IIFAS were evaluated using Cronbach's α and test-retest reliability. Known-group comparisons discriminated certain group differences in a predictable way. A series of exploratory factor analyses (EFAs) was conducted to test the factor structure of the IIFAS using the maximum likelihood and principal axis factoring. The number of factors was selected according to theoretical and statistical considerations. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was further performed to validate the factor structure constructed in the prior EFA., Results: The IIFAS had a Cronbach's α and Pearson correlation of 0.79 and 0.85, respectively. The known-group comparisons among certain groups were supported. The EFA results showed that the 3-factor structure produced the most interpretable and theoretical sense. A second-order CFA was conducted to confirm the construct dimensionality of the 15-item IIFAS, with satisfactory fit indices found., Conclusion: The 15-item IIFAS is a psychometrically sound measurement tool that health care professionals can use to understand the diverse infant feeding attitudes and knowledge among different ethnic groups in order to provide breastfeeding interventions that are culturally sensitive., (© The Author(s) 2015.)

Background: The 17-item Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS) has shown good reliability and validity to measure attitudes toward infant feeding in various countries. It is also known to be associated with breastfeeding intention and exclusivity. However, the IIFAS has not been psychometrically tested among Japanese women., Objective: This study aimed to develop the Japanese version of the IIFAS (IIFAS-J) and assess its reliability and validity., Methods: This longitudinal study was conducted with 781 women at 4 hospitals in Japan. The translated IIFAS was administered to participants during their third trimester. Infant feeding status was self-reported at 4 and 12 weeks postpartum using follow-up questionnaires. The predictive validity was determined by examining the association between the IIFAS-J score during pregnancy and infant feeding status at 4 and 12 weeks postpartum., Results: One item was removed after a principal components analysis. Therefore, the IIFAS-J consisted of 16 items. Cronbach's alpha of the IIFAS-J was 0.66. A higher IIFAS-J score during the third trimester was associated with a higher postdischarge exclusive breastfeeding rate at 4 weeks postpartum (B = 0.05; adjusted odds ratio = 1.05; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.10)., Conclusion: The 16-item Japanese version of the IIFAS is a reliable and valid scale for measuring maternal infant-feeding attitudes during pregnancy., (© The Author(s) 2014.)