title: Validation of the Arabic Version of the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale among Lebanese Women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is need in the Arab world for validated instruments that can reliably assess infant feeding attitudes among women. The 17-item Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS) has consistently shown good reliability and validity in different cultures and the ability to predict breastfeeding intention and exclusivity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study assessed the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the IIFAS (IIFAS-A).
  
  
  METHODS
  After translating to classical Arabic and back-translating to English, the IIFAS-A was pilot tested among 20 women for comprehension, clarity, length, and cultural appropriateness. The IIFAS-A was then validated among 170 women enrolled in a breastfeeding promotion and support clinical trial in Lebanon.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The IIFAS-A showed acceptable internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.640), with principal components analysis revealing that it is unidimensional. The 17 items had good interitem reliabilities ranging between 0.599 and 0.665. The number of breastfed children was the only predictor of the overall IIFAS-A score in a multivariate stepwise regression model (β = 1.531, P < .0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 17-item IIFAS-A is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring women's infant feeding attitudes in the Arab context.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Lama
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Charafeddine
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Institute, Biostatistics Unit, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Hani
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tamim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Marwa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soubra
authors.affiliation: School of Education, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.
authors.forename: Arlene
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de la Mora
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon mn04@aub.edu.lb.
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nabulsi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D065246:Culturally Competent Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007861:Lebanon; D016014:Linear Models; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014177:Translations
keywords: breastfeeding; breastfeeding attitudes; infant feeding; instrument validation