The Validity and Reliability Study of the Turkish Version of the Preterm Oral Feeding Readiness Assessment Scale (T-POFRAS)

Abstract

Aim:To test the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Preterm Oral Feeding Readiness Assessment Scale (T-POFRAS) in order to add this scale to the literature.Materials and Methods:A methodological study was conducted with 90 pre-terms in a neonatal intensive care unit in a state hospital.Results:The best cut-off score value was 29 from the receiver operating characteristics analysis. For the 1st observer, 100% sensitivity and 95.7% specificity were seen at a cut-off score of 29, whereas for the 2nd observer, 95.5% sensitivity and 97.8% specificity were seen. The inter-rater agreement was quite high when the two observers were divided into groups according to their cut-off scores (Kappa=0.933; p=0.0001). The inter-rater agreement was 96.7% (in 87 preterms).Conclusion:This study showed that the validity of the Turkish version of T-POFRAS was acceptable.

Keywords

• preterm infant
• reliability and validity
• feeding behavior
• enteral nutrition