Promoting maternal self efficacy and paternal attitudes towards breastfeeding: a randomized controlled trial

Soodabeh Aghababaei; Batoul Khodakarami; Maryam Farhadian; Marziyeh Kamali

doi:10.1177/17579759221091194

Promoting maternal self efficacy and paternal attitudes towards breastfeeding: a randomized controlled trial

Glob Health Promot. 2022 Jun 19:17579759221091194. doi: 10.1177/17579759221091194. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Soodabeh Aghababaei¹, Batoul Khodakarami¹, Maryam Farhadian², Marziyeh Kamali³

Affiliations

¹ Mother and Child Care Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
² Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Research Center for Health Sciences, Hamadan University of Medical Science, Hamadan, Iran.
³ Nursing and Midwifery School, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.

PMID: 35723044
DOI: 10.1177/17579759221091194

Abstract

Background: Counseling is one of the ways to improve the quantity and quality of breastfeeding. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of couple-centered counseling on fathers' attitudes and mothers' self-efficacy towards breastfeeding.

Methods: This randomized controlled trial study was conducted on 60 primigravida pregnant women and their spouses who were randomly selected among the pregnant women referred to the two maternity hospitals of Malayer City, a city in the province Hamadan in western Iran. Data collection tools included the demographic characteristics questionnaire, Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, and Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale. The intervention was performed according to the principles of GATHER counseling (Greet, Ask, Tell, Help, Explain, and Return). Mothers' self-efficacy and fathers' attitudes toward breastfeeding were assessed before the intervention and 4 weeks after birth in both groups. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 23 software and using a significance level of p = 0.05.

Results: The participants of the control and test groups were homogeneous in terms of demographic characteristics. The change in mothers' breastfeeding self-efficacy score after intervention in the test group had a statistically significant difference compared to the control group (30.43 ± 2.53; 95%CI: 25.41,35.44), and the change in the score of fathers' attitude towards breastfeeding had a statistically significant difference after the intervention in the test group compared to the control group (19.3 ± 2.05; 95%CI: -23.36, -15.23). In the test group, the change in fathers' attitude towards breastfeeding after the intervention was significant compared to before the intervention (30.36 ± 2.38; 95%CI: 25.43, 35.25).

Conclusions: Appropriate counseling programs can change fathers' attitudes toward breastfeeding and increase mothers' breastfeeding self-efficacy, so couples' presence in breastfeeding counseling is recommended.

Keywords: attitude; breastfeeding; breastfeeding self-efficacy; paternal.