Anxiety and Maternal Self-efficacy among Postpartum Mothers during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Postpartum mothers are vulnerable to maternal mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research relating anxiety to maternal self-efficacy (MSE) in postpartum mothers in Indonesia is limited.

Objective: This study aims to identify the relationship between anxiety and demographic characteristics with MSE among postpartum mothers in Indonesia.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among 116 postpartum mothers in the Bekasi area, West Java using accidental sampling method. We used the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale - Research Short-Form - For use in global Crises (PSAS-RSF-C) and MSE questionnaires. We compared maternal self-efficacy and parity using the chi-squared test. Odds ratio and 95% CI were computed to determine parity, educational level, and anxiety.

Results: Most respondents were aged between 20-35 years (60.3%), had higher education (54.3%), did not work (65.5%), multiparous (69%), experienced anxiety (50.9%), and had good MSE (84.5%). There was a significant relationship between low educational level, primiparous, and high anxiety with poor MSE (p value <0.05, 95% CI). Meanwhile, age and work status did not have a significant relationship with MSE.

Conclusion: High level of anxiety was strongly associated with poor MSE. Health workers are expected to screen and intervene to prevent anxiety and to improve MSE.