Volume 30, Issue 170, April 2026

Assessing the Validity of the Scale for Breastfeeding Ability in Mothers After Cesarean Section: A Cross- Sectional Study at the University Medical Center of Ho Chi Minh City

Tuan Vo^1♦, Mo Nguyen¹, Dat Nguyen¹, Du Tran¹, Toan Nguyen¹, Nhinh Chau²

¹University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam.
²University Medical Center, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam

^♦Corresponding author
Tuan Vo, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh citty, Vietnam

ABSTRACT

Objectives: To determine the rate of non-exclusive breastfeeding one month postpartum after cesarean section in the University Medical Center at Ho Chi Minh City, and to evaluate the tool for measuring the likelihood of non-exclusive breastfeeding. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on mothers one month postpartum after cesarean section in the University Medical Center at Ho Chi Minh City from 11/2024 to 1/2025. Results: A month after a cesarean section, 59.6% of mothers were not exclusively breastfeeding (95%CI: 54.7 - 64.4). The evaluation method demonstrated strong reliability with a Cronbach’s alpha score of 0.74. Structural values meet requirements with the 3- factor model: CFI = 0.957, TLI = 0.935, SRMR = 0.038, RMSEA = 0.052 (90%CI: 0.031 - 0.073). AUC = 0.9423 (95%CI: 0.9150 - 0.9695) shows good standard values. At the cutoff point of 30, sensitivity is 95.65%, and specificity is 85.26%. Conclusion: The rate of nonexclusive breastfeeding among mothers who have had a cesarean section after 1 month remains high. The constructed scale shows good reliability and validity. It could be used for early screening of women who have had a cesarean section and are likely to be nonexclusively breastfeeding.

Keywords: breastfeeding, cesarean section, postpartum, Cronbach’s alpha score

Medical Science, 2026, 30, e66ms3844

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Published: 07 April 2026