Impacts of antenatal nursing interventions on mothers’ breastfeeding self-efficacy: an experimental study

Abstract

Abstract Background A considerable amount of research demonstrates how breastfeeding self-efficacy significantly influences breastfeeding outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of nursing intervention on mother’s breastfeeding self-efficacy. Methods In this experimental investigation, 130 pregnant women who attended a primary health care centre were randomly assigned to the experimental (n = 65) or control (n = 65) groups. The experimental group received two 60–90 min group breastfeeding educational sessions based on the breastfeeding self-efficacy theory along with routine care. Mothers’ knowledge, attitudes, prenatal and postnatal self-efficacy towards the breastfeeding were compared between both groups. The Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale measured the attitudes. Prenatal Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale measured the self-efficacy during pregnancy and Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy-Short Form measured the self-efficacy in postnatal period. Results Breastfeeding self-efficacy during pregnancy and following two months of delivery in the experimental group was significantly higher. The experimental group had a higher level of knowledge and attitude in comparison with subjects in the control group. In addition, the mothers who breastfed exclusively had higher levels of postnatal self-efficacy in both experimental and control groups compared to formula feeding women (52.00 vs. 39.45 in the control and 57.69 vs. 36.00 in the experimental subjects; P < 0.001). Conclusion The present investigation suggests that antenatal breastfeeding education is an effective way to increase the level of breastfeeding self-efficacy, which increases exclusive breastfeeding practice.