title: The infant care questionnaire: assessment of reliability and validity in a sample of healthy mothers.
abstract: Few instruments are available to assess perceptions of competence in the specific maternal role function of infant care provider. This article reports on a methodological study of the development and evaluation of the Infant Care Questionnaire (ICQ), a self-report scale designed to measure the mother's perceptions of her abilities and competence as an infant care provider. The sample consisted of healthy low-risk primiparous and multiparous mothers (N = 164) of term infants. Principal components factor analysis with a Varimax rotation produced a three factor solution that explained 42% of the total variance. The three factors were Mom&Baby, Emotionality, and Responsiveness with Cronbach alpha coefficients of .86, .79, and .58, respectively. Validity evidence included higher Mom&Baby scores for multiparous mothers, F (1, 139) = 10.78, p = .001; those with greater time in the mothering role, F (2, 138) = 21.78, p = .000; and a significant correlation with the similar Maternal Confidence Scale, r (155) = .48, p = .000. Acquisition of competence was shown in a greater proportion of mothers rated "competent" at five weeks compared with one week postnatal, chi 2 (1, N = 156) = 22.77, p = .000. While the ICQ demonstrated adequate reliability and validity, establishment of clinical relevance and appropriateness with other groups is required.
authors.affiliation: University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. Loretta_Secco@umanitoba.ca
authors.forename: Loretta
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Secco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007224:Infant Care; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008350:Manitoba; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires