The impact of a self-efficacy intervention on short-term breast-feeding outcomes

Health Educ Behav. 2009 Apr;36(2):250-8. doi: 10.1177/1090198107303362. Epub 2007 Sep 24.

Abstract

Maternal self-efficacy for breast-feeding may contribute to success in breast-feeding. This study aimed to increase breast-feeding self-efficacy and actual breast-feeding through an intervention based on Bandura's self-efficacy theory. A total of 90 pregnant women participated in the study. The women who were assigned to a breast-feeding self-efficacy intervention showed significantly greater increases in breast-feeding self-efficacy than did the women in the control group. Furthermore, at 4 weeks postpartum, women in the intervention group showed a trend toward breast-feeding their infants longer and more exclusively than did those in the control group. Greater increases in breast-feeding self-efficacy were associated with a significantly higher level of breast-feeding. Replicating previous research, breast-feeding self-efficacy was significantly related to concurrent breast-feeding behavior, and high antenatal breast-feeding self-efficacy predicted a higher level of later breast-feeding in control-group women. These findings have implications for breast-feeding support programs and for the potential general utility of self-efficacy-based interventions in health education.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Breast Feeding / epidemiology*
  • Breast Feeding / psychology*
  • Female
  • Health Education / organization & administration*
  • Humans
  • Pregnancy
  • Prenatal Care / organization & administration*
  • Self Efficacy*
  • Time Factors