Background:

It is necessary to develop valid instruments that measure satisfaction with breastfeeding to analyse breastfeeding behaviors and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. The Maternal Breastfeeding Evaluation Scale (MBFES) is one of the most used but it does not have a Spanish version. The objective is to translate the questionnaire and evaluate its psychometric properties.

Methods:

The translation-back-translation method with a pilot study was used. A sample of 136 mothers who belong to an Area V Hospital in Murcia, Spain was used to evaluate the understanding, reliability and viability of the questionnaire. The dimensional structure of the scale was analyzed through an exploratory factor analysis with Varimax rotation.

Results:

The same three factors observed in the original version were detected in the Spanish version. Cronbach's alpha was 0.925 for the general scale and 0.92, 0.923 and 0.926 for the subscales, indicating an acceptable internal consistency between the scale elements.

Conclusions:

This analysis shows the validity and reliability of the Spanish translation of the MBFES, which would support its clinical use in Spain.