Development and validation of a self-efficacy of childcare scale for older primiparas in Taiwan

Background The average age of women giving birth to their first child has increased. However, no childcare self-efficacy scale specifically designed for older primiparas has been developed. Aims To develop the Self-Efficacy of Childcare Scale for older primiparas in Taiwan and to examine its reliability and validity. Methods This study conducted a literature review and extracted content from qualitative longitudinal surveys to clarify the conceptual structure of childcare self-efficacy among older primiparas in Taiwan. An initial item pool was developed and refined through expert review to ensure content validity. A preliminary survey of 140 older primiparas (aged ≥ 34 years) was conducted to perform exploratory factor analysis for item reduction and factor identification. A subsequent main survey involving 195 participants was used to confirm the scale structure through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results Factor analysis resulted in a final scale comprising 10 items grouped into five factors: responsiveness in parenting, sense of mission related to parenting, parenting support, parenting evaluation, and parenting construction. The Cronbach’s α coefficient for the overall scale was 0.855. CFA revealed good model fit, with a goodness of fit index of 0.947, an adjusted goodness of fit index of 0.884, a comparative fit index of 0.955, and a root mean square error of approximation of 0.080. Significant correlations were observed with related constructs, including mothers’ feelings, support networks, and self-rated health status. Conclusion The Self-Efficacy of Childcare Scale demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity. This scale may serve as a useful assessment and screening tool in obstetric care settings in Taiwan.