Background: Breastfeeding self-efficacy refers to a mother's confidence about her ability to breastfeed, which has been found to shape her choice about whether or not to do so. It depends on social and psychological factors and has not previously been studied in postpartum Vietnamese women.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore factors related to breastfeeding self-efficacy and its predictors among postpartum Vietnamese women.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 164 postpartum women in Tu Du hospital in Vietnam from August to September 2017. The study used the Breastfeeding Self-Efficiency Scale (BSES), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) to explore factors affecting breastfeeding selfefficacy. Independent t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and hierarchical linear regression were used to determine the relationship between independent variables and the dependent variable.
Results: Breastfeeding self-efficacy was related to mothers' age, mother's occupation, previous breastfeeding experience, mode of delivery, skin-to-skin contact with the baby, and extent of breastfeeding in the hospital. It was also positively correlated with social support and was significantly lower in women with more postpartum depression. Independent variables predicted 36.8% of breastfeeding self-efficacy in the hierarchical linear regression.
Conclusion: Strategies to foster breastfeeding self-efficacy should focus on decreasing the incidence of postpartum depression and promoting social support for breastfeeding. Health care providers should screen for and pay close attention to signs of postpartum depression. Moreover, health care providers should offer adequate support tailored to the mother's needs and involve her social network in breastfeeding education.
Keywords: Breastfeeding; EPDS; Postpartum depression; Self-efficacy; Social support.
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