Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy and Its Relationship with Perceived Stress and Breastfeeding Performance in Iranian Mothers with Late Preterm Infants: A Prospective Study

Abstract

Late preterm infants suffer from several problems after birth, and the key factor in fighting these problems is effective breastfeeding. To determine breastfeeding self-efficacy and its relationship with perceived stress and assess breastfeeding performance in mothers with late preterm infants In this prospective study, 171 eligible nursing mothers with late preterm infants born in Alzahra Medical Center of Tabriz, Iran, were selected via convenience sampling. The Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form was employed to measure breastfeeding self-efficacy, and the 14-item Perceived Stress Scale was used to measure the perceived stress 24 hours after giving birth. When the child was 4 months old, breastfeeding performance was measured by the Standard Breastfeeding Performance Questionnaire. The data were analyzed by Pearson and Spearman’s correlation tests, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression analysis. The mean (standard deviation) of breastfeeding self-efficacy was 50.0 (7.8) with scores ranging from 13 to 65, and the mean (standard deviation) of perceived stress was 26.5 (8.8) with scores ranging from 0 to 56. The median (25-75 percentiles) of breastfeeding performance score equaled 2.0 (1.0 to 3.0) with scores ranging from 0 to 6. Based on multiple linear regression analysis and after adjusting the personal-social characteristics, by increasing the score of breastfeeding self-efficacy, perceived stress was significantly decreased (B=-0.1, 95%CI=-0.3 to 0.0). However, there was no statistically significant relationship between breastfeeding self-efficacy and breastfeeding performance (p=0.418). Due to the possibility of adjusting breastfeeding self-efficacy and its role in mothers’ perceived stress, developing proper strategies seems to be essential for enhancing breastfeeding self-efficacy.