Caregivers' Attitudes Toward Baby-Led Weaning: Development and Psychometric Validation of the BLW-CAS.

Background/

Objectives

Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) is an increasingly adopted complementary feeding approach in which infants self-feed family foods rather than being spoon-fed purées. Caregivers' attitudes play a central role in its adoption and implementation, yet no validated instrument has been specifically designed to assess caregivers' attitudes toward BLW. This study aimed to develop and psychometrically validate the BLW Caregiver Attitudes Scale (BLW-CAS).

Methods

A methodological psychometric study was conducted in two phases. Scale development involved a literature review, expert panel evaluation, and cognitive pretesting with caregivers. Psychometric validation was conducted among 256 caregivers, while temporal stability was assessed in an independent test-retest sample of 92 caregivers. Content validity, internal consistency, temporal stability, construct validity, and convergent validity were examined using established psychometric methods.

Results

The final 16-item BLW-CAS comprised three dimensions: Predisposition, Self-efficacy, and Practical Skills. The revised scale achieved an S-CVI/Ave of 0.93. The three-factor exploratory solution accounted for 67.46% of the total item variance. The three-factor CFA model showed good overall fit (CFI = 0.995; TLI = 0.994; RMSEA = 0.052; SRMR = 0.066). Internal consistency was acceptable to excellent across subscales (α = 0.757-0.913; ω = 0.807-0.953), and test-retest reliability was good (ICC = 0.832). Positive small-to-moderate correlations with general self-efficacy (r = 0.298) and decision satisfaction (r = 0.350) supported convergent validity.

Conclusions

The Spanish BLW-CAS is a concise, multidimensional instrument with promising psychometric properties for assessing caregivers' attitudes toward BLW, supporting future research and the evaluation of interventions related to complementary feeding practices.