Association Between Family Support and Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy in a Cross-Sectional Study.
Longyi Hu, Wei He, Leshan Zhou
PMID 40268870WHAT IT FOUND
Higher family support was linked to higher breastfeeding confidence.
Mothers whose postnatal caregiver was their parents had lower confidence. Nurses can ask whether family help is supportive or controlling.
Key findings
01Mothers with higher family support scores showed higher total breastfeeding self-efficacy scores (R2 = 0.283, p < 0.001).
02After controlling for potential confounders, family support was associated with higher breastfeeding self-efficacy score (β = 1.537, p < 0.001).
03Parents as postnatal caregivers were associated with lower breastfeeding self-efficacy score (β = -4.723, p = 0.022).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study used convenience sampling at one hospital children's health centre, so the mothers may not represent all breastfeeding mothers. The sample was described as largely well-off and highly engaged in infant wellbeing, which could skew breastfeeding self-efficacy upward. The design was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that family support causes higher breastfeeding confidence. The study did not test an intervention to increase family support or improve breastfeeding. Unknown factors may still affect the results even after the researchers controlled for measured confounders.
Declared interests
The authors reported nothing to disclose.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that giving mothers more family support will improve breastfeeding confidence. This was a cross-sectional survey of associations, not a test of an intervention. Parents as postnatal caregivers were linked to lower confidence, so family involvement can be negative.