Fuente: "milk OR dairy products" J Hum Lact. 2026 Mar 30:8903344261426740. doi: 10.1177/08903344261426740. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTBACKGROUND: Breastfeeding, recognized as the most effective method for infants to receive human milk, also has significant benefits for maternal health.RESEARCH AIM: The study aimed to develop a psychometric evaluation of the Breastfeeding Beliefs Scale, constructed based on the Health Belief Model in Türkiye.METHODS: This methodological study was conducted with 300 pregnant women attending the Gynecology and Obstetrics Outpatient Clinic of a Ministry of Health State Hospital. Data were collected using a personal information form, the Breastfeeding Beliefs Scale, and the Antenatal Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form. Content validity was assessed using the Davis technique. Construct validity was examined through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses using the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure, Bartlett's test of sphericity, principal component analysis, and model fit indices (χ²/df, GFI, AGFI, CFI, RMSEA, and SRMR). Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha coefficients and item-total correlations.RESULTS: The Breastfeeding Beliefs Scale (Emzirme İnançları Ölçeği) consists of 40 items across six subdimensions. Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranged from 0.706 to 0.924, indicating acceptable to excellent reliability. All items demonstrated adequate item-total correlations, and confirmatory factor analysis supported the six-factor structure, with all item t-values exceeding 1.96. Lower scores on the Barrier subscale and higher scores on other subscales reflect more positive breastfeeding beliefs.CONCLUSION: The scale can be used with pregnant women in all trimesters and is useful for assessing breastfeeding beliefs. Further studies are recommended to test its applicability in different populations and countries.PMID:41913352 | DOI:10.1177/08903344261426740