Translation and Validation of the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale BSES- Sf in a Colombian Population

Breastfeeding self-efficacy is the mother's confidence in her ability to breastfeed her child and is assessed using the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale ( bses ) . Several studies have explored the psychometric properties of the questionnaire with adequate results in different countries. The present study presents the translation and validation process of the 14 -item brief version of the scale in a sample of Colombian women. In total, 243 lactating women with children around four months of age were evaluated. The consistency and internal structure of the scale was analysed, as well as its relationship with other variables. The scale evidenced adequate internal consistency (alpha = .91), a factorial structure of two dimensions explaining 48 % of the variance was identified, the relationship with other variables such as self-esteem (rho = .28) and perceived stress (rho = .30) was weak or moderate, and the differences in scores regarding the obstetric history and sociodemographic variables were analyzed. The psychometric evidence supports the use of the scale in both clinical and research settings to assess selfefficacy in Colombian lactating women.