Salmah Alghamdi
Michigan State University, USA
Title: The Association between Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy and Breastfeeding Practice
Biography
Biography: Salmah Alghamdi
Abstract
Despite the numerous health advantages of breastfeeding, including the prevention of early childhood obesity, the global rates of exclusive breastfeeding is extremely low during the first six months of the infant’s life as recommended by the World Health Organization. Breastfeeding self-efficacy, defined as a mother’s confidence in her ability to successfully breastfeed, has been identified as an important modifiable factor and amenable to change for improving the practice of breastfeeding. However, the association between breastfeeding self-efficacy and the practice of breastfeeding has not been well established in the literature. The aim of this study was to systematically review studies that have examined the association between breastfeeding self-efficacy and breastfeeding practice. A comprehensive literature search was conducted from CINAHL, PubMed, and PsychInfo. The search process was limited to peer-reviewed research articles published in English between 2001 and 2016. Studies were included in the review if they: were original research, involved healthy mothers and infants aged 0–6 months, included breastfeeding self-efficacy as an independent variable, and reported breastfeeding exclusivity and duration as outcome variables. A total of 15 studies from nine different countries around the world were included in the systemic review. Breastfeeding self-efficacy was found to be a significant predictor of breastfeeding exclusivity and duration. Thus, breastfeeding self-efficacy assessment is critical in the postpartum period to identify women at increased risk for early breastfeeding cessation. Recommendations for future research include emphasis on policy changes and implementation of strategies that enhance a mother’s breastfeeding self-efficacy to promote breastfeeding practice.