Contributions of social support, knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy on breastfeeding practice in Indonesia

Abstract

This is a correlational study investigating the influence of social support, knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy on breastfeeding practice among Indonesian working and nonworking mothers who participated in a mother support group (MSG) program. This current study is also examining a hypothesized model of relationship between social support, knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy in influencing breastfeeding practice. All of these variables were measured using questionnaires. All of the scales were translated into Indonesian language and the internal consistency reliability scores (Cronbach’s alpha) were found to be above 0.7 for all scales. A total of 221 mothers with babies between 0-6 months who joined the MSG program participated in this study. Hierarchical multiple regression test was used to assess the influence of social support, knowledge, attitude, and selfefficacy on breastfeeding. In order to test the hypothesized model of relationship between social support, knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, and breastfeeding practice, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used for the nonworking mothers and path analysis was used for the working mothers. The results showed that only knowledge has significant influence on breastfeeding practice among the non working mothers (beta= .21, p= .01). However among the working mothers, knowledge (beta= .23, p= .03), attitude (beta= .33, p= .01), and self-efficacy (beta= .45, p= .01) have significant influences on breastfeeding. Social support has no significant influence on breastfeeding in both types of mother. The results highlighted varying predictors of breastfeeding practice among working as compared to non working mothers. Nevertheless, MSG was seen as a suitable program to educate mothers in term of breastfeeding as the programme covers all the significant predictors found in this study.