664 - Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy in a Diverse Population of Mothers

Publication Number: 664.4464

Henry Bernstein, Cohen Children's Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY, United States; Angela Beatriz Cabrera, Cohen Children's Medical Center/General Pediatrics, New Hyde Park, NY, United States; Anusha Panjwani, Cohen Children's Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY, United States; Sara C. Popofsky, Cohen Children's Medical Center/General Pediatrics, New Hyde Park, NY, United States; Chang Yan, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States; Danielle T. Fisenne, Cohen Children's Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY, United States; Cathie Spino, University of Michigan, Toledo, OH, United States

Background: High maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy (BSE), a mother’s confidence in breastfeeding, is associated with improved breastfeeding outcomes. Understanding potential influences of BSE can help mothers achieve their infant feeding goals.

Objective: To explore the impact of demographic and maternal characteristics on breastfeeding confidence among a diverse population of mothers.

Design/Methods: Breastfeeding mother-infant dyads were recruited, consented, and randomized for a longitudinal breastfeeding education study. Dyads were recruited at their first newborn visit, within 1 week of birth, at a general pediatrics clinic serving a diverse Queens/Long Island, NY population. Eligibility criteria included healthy, English or Spanish-speaking participants. Self-reported demographic and maternal characteristics were collected at the newborn visit; confidence in breastfeeding was reported as excellent, very good, good, fair, poor. Multivariable proportional odds logistic regression analyses examined differences in these categories of breastfeeding confidence among mothers with varied maternal characteristics and demographics.

Results: The population (n=320) was 37% Asian, 30% Black, 15% other, and 11% white; and 26% Hispanic or Latino. The median age of mothers was 31.6 years and 34% were enrolled in WIC. Mothers’ educational backgrounds were 20% high school graduate/GED or less, 30% some college/associate’s degree/technical degree graduate, 25% bachelor’s degree, and 25% graduate or professional degree. There were no statistically significant differences in maternal breastfeeding confidence based on race, age, WIC, or anticipated support at home in multivariable models (p>0.05). Non-Hispanic mothers had less breastfeeding confidence compared with Hispanic mothers (OR=0.47, 95% CI: 0.24, 0.91; p=0.02). Educational level was associated with BSE (p=0.01). Mothers with a high school degree or less had more confidence compared with mothers with a bachelor's degree (OR=2.85, 95% CI: 1.52, 5.56) or mothers with a graduate/professional degree (OR=2.70, 95% CI: 1.37, 5.56).

Conclusion(s): Non-Hispanic mothers and mothers with higher levels of education reported to be less confident in breastfeeding. Although confidence is not the only predictor of breastfeeding duration, child health professionals should leverage maternal self-efficacy to further support diverse populations with their breastfeeding goals.