Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Infant Breastfeeding Assessment Tool

Aya Tomita; Emi Tahara-Sasagawa; Kaori Yonezawa; Yuriko Usui; Megumi Haruna

doi:10.1016/j.midw.2023.103670

Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Infant Breastfeeding Assessment Tool

Midwifery. 2023 Jun:121:103670. doi: 10.1016/j.midw.2023.103670. Epub 2023 Mar 26.

Authors

Aya Tomita¹, Emi Tahara-Sasagawa¹, Kaori Yonezawa¹, Yuriko Usui¹, Megumi Haruna²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Midwifery and Women's Health, Division of Health Sciences and Nursing, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
² Department of Midwifery and Women's Health, Division of Health Sciences and Nursing, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan. Electronic address: mharuna@m.u-tokyo.ac.jp.

PMID: 37019001
DOI: 10.1016/j.midw.2023.103670

Abstract

Objective: To translate the Infant Breastfeeding Assessment Tool (IBFAT) into Japanese and confirm the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of IBFAT.

Design: The methodological study examining the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the IBFAT.

Setting: A maternity hospital in Tokyo.

Participants: Ten mother-newborn pairs were recruited for the reliability analysis. 101 mother-newborn pairs were recruited for the validity analysis.

Measurements and findings: Reliability was verified by video recording and direct observation. The observers are one researcher, and 11 evaluators consisting of midwives and nurses. Amongst the 11 evaluators, six evaluators directly observed breastfeeding behaviours and five evaluators observed breastfeeding behaviours through video viewing. Regarding the inter-rater agreement, the intraclass correlation (ICC) between the researcher and six direct evaluators was 0.985 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.941-0.996) and that amongst five video viewing evaluators was 0.827 (95% CI: 0.647-0.945). In the intra-rater agreement, the lowest ICC amongst all those investigating IBFAT scores was 0.810 (95% CI: 0.433-0.948). In concurrent validity, the correlation coefficients between the IBFAT and Breastfeeding behaviour Assessment (BBA) scores on the first day after birth and the fourth or fifth day after birth (at discharge) were 0.66 (p < 0.001) and 0.40 (p < 0.001), respectively. In predictive validity, the medians and interquartile ranges (IQRs) of IBFAT scores at discharge were 11.0 (IQR: 11.0-12.0) and 11.0 (IQR: 11.0-12.0) for the breast and mixed milk groups at one-month check-up, respectively. While both median values were the same, the Mann-Whitney U test showed a significant difference.

Key conclusions: The Japanese version of the IBFAT is valid and reliable for measuring feeding behaviour amongst newborns in the first week of life.

Implications for practice: The Japanese version of the IBFAT can be available both in a clinical setting and in research to help support breastfeeding.

Keywords: Breastfeeding; Feeding behaviour; Infant Breastfeeding Assessment Tool.

MeSH terms

Breast Feeding*
Feeding Behavior
Female
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Japan
Mothers
Pregnancy
Reproducibility of Results