NAZARE, Bárbara; FONSECA, Ana    CANAVARRO, Maria Cristina. Maternal Confidence Questionnaire: Confirmatory factor analysis in a community sample of couples. []. , 14, 1, pp.23-37. ISSN 1645-0086.

The lack of parental confidence on one’s ability to take care of one’s baby may cause difficulties in the relationship between the parents and the child. The Maternal Confidence Questionnaire assesses parental confidence on the ability to take care of the baby and recognize his needs. It is a 13-item questionnaire with a frequency answer scale. Our study aimed to identify the factorial structure of the Portuguese version of the Maternal Confidence Questionnaire. A community sample of 223 couples with 6-month-old babies answered the assessment protocol. Confirmatory factor analyses showed a three-factor structure (Knowledge of the Baby, Taking Care of the Baby, Assessment of the Parenting Experience) to be the most adequate. The Portuguese version of the Maternal Confidence Questionnaire has good reliability and validity levels and is a useful instrument in the assessment of parents of young babies, making it possible to identify risk situations in these dyads.

: gender differences; Maternal Confidence Questionnaire; parental confidence; psychometric studies.

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