Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of an antenatal breastfeeding education program based on the Dennis Breastfeeding Self-Ef cacy Theory for mothers’ breastfeeding self-ef cacy and breastfeeding success. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was performed in a Maternal Child Health Center in Izmir, Turkey. A total of 82 out of 109 pregnant mothers (75.2%; 41 intervention and 41 control group) agreed to participate. Breastfeeding Self-Ef cacy was measured with the Breastfeeding Self-Ef cacy Short Form Scale and Antenatal Breastfeeding Self-Ef cacy Short Form Scale, and breastfeeding success was measured with the LATCH Assessment Tool. Breastfeeding selfef cacy was measured before the education, as well as at one-week postnatal and six-weeks postnatal respectively. At one-week postnatal and six-weeks postnatal, breastfeeding success was also evaluated. To determine the effectiveness of the intervention MANOVA, independent samples t test and paired samples t test were used. RESULTS: The results indicate that the intervention group had signi cant higher breastfeeding self–ef cacy and maintained this distinction in all measurement periods antenatally and postnatally (p 0.01). Furthermore, the intervention group presented signi cantly better results in breastfeeding success at one week postnatal (p 0.001) as well as at 6 weeks (p 0.05). CONCLUSION: The breastfeeding education program, based on Dennis Breastfeeding Self-Ef cacy, is effective for improving breastfeeding self-ef cacy and breastfeeding success. Consequently, the existing education programs should be reviewed and programs should include contexts that will improve mothers’ con dence, rather than just be informative brie ngs.

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