Effect of a brief motivational intervention in the immediate postpartum period on breastfeeding self‐efficacy: Randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Brief motivational intervention (bMI) is a therapeutic approach that encourages self‐efficacy and may have a positive effect on breastfeeding self‐efficacy (BSE). The purpose of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of a bMI in increasing BSE in women who started breastfeeding in the immediate postpartum period and to explore the roles of general self‐efficacy and other baseline variables in this relationship. A randomized, parallel‐group clinical trial was carried out. A bMI was compared with an educational session on breastfeeding. Changes in BSE and its dimensions and the interaction and mediation/moderation of general self‐efficacy and other variables were analyzed. BSE increased in the bMI group from a mean baseline score of 59.14 (±9.35) to 64.62 (±7.91) at 1st month (p < 0.001). An interaction was found in that only women with higher education had an improvement in BSE during the follow‐up period that was attributable to the bMI (mean difference between the bMI and the attention control group: 18.25 (95% confidence interval: 5.86–30.19; p = 0.006). This interaction was not found for the changes produced in the intrapersonal thoughts dimension of BSE, whose scores were higher in the bMI group at 3 and 6 months. General self‐efficacy exerted a moderating effect on the association of bMI with BSE change. The effect of bMI was no longer significant when the general self‐efficacy score was above 84. Thus, bMI is effective in increasing BSE. This effectiveness was limited by the mother's educational level and moderated by baseline general self‐efficacy.

Effectiveness of a Postpartum Breastfeeding Support Group Intervention in Promoting Exclusive Breastfeeding and Perceived Self-Efficacy: A Multicentre Randomized Clinical Trial

“…This relationship between high self-efficacy and prolonged exclusive breastfeeding is partially explained by a study by Blyth et al [61], in which the main finding was that mothers with higher self-efficacy were more likely to adapt and react more positively to breastfeeding difficulties and, therefore, were more likely to continue breastfeeding. Unlike other factors, breastfeeding self-efficacy is a potentially modifiable individual determinant that can improve breastfeeding rates, as reported by previous studies [59,[62][63][64][65], when combined with interventions by health professionals [23,66,67]. Moreover, breastfeeding self-efficacy has been recognized as one of the factors positively associated with the establishment and duration of exclusive breastfeeding [68,69], even in premature newborns [70,71], and it has also been identified as a significant predictor of breastfeeding after future pregnancies [72].…”

Factors associated with exclusive formula feeding among individuals with low‐risk pregnancies in the United States

“…Practitioners should be open and willing to address the barriers to breastfeeding with parents 13 . Our analysis provides more information about potential modifiable barriers for breastfeeding (eg, prepregnancy BMI, access to prenatal care, and smoking cessation) in a low‐risk population and a way to identify individuals at risk of exclusive formula feeding, and create individual or group education programs or services that may help increase breastfeeding rate in that population 33,52‐54 …”

Help-seeking and treatment delivery preferences for women experiencing perinatal anxiety symptoms

“…While this is the first study to explore the HBM variables in predicting help-seeking intention during the perinatal period, this finding is consistent with other studies which have indicated that higher levels of self-efficacy are related to physical health help-seeking in pre-menopausal women (Chou and Shih, 2018) and in mental health help-seeking in adolescents (O’Connor et al ., 2014). Research suggests self-efficacy can be improved using brief interventions (Franco-Antonio et al ., 2021), thus it may be important for primary health physicians to provide women in the perinatal period with preventative education as well as a brief motivational interviewing session regarding help-seeking, as this may assist in building women’s confidence, and subsequently their self-efficacy, resulting in higher levels of treatment seeking.…”