Breastfeeding training improved healthcare professional’s self-efficacy to provide evidence-based breastfeeding support: A pre-post intervention study

Abstract

Objective: To describe healthcare professional’s (HCP’s) perceived self-efficacy in their ability to provide breastfeeding support before and after a breastfeeding training program. Design: Pre-post intervention study. Setting: Antenatal care and child healthcare (CHC) centres in Sweden during 2020. Participants: An intervention group consisting of 39 HCPs (midwives 51.3%, child healthcare nurses 46.2%) completing a questionnaire at baseline and after intervention, and a control group of 34 HCPs (midwives 61.8%, child healthcare nurses 38.2%) completing a questionnaire at baseline. Intervention: A breastfeeding training program in line with the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding and WHO recommendations about breastfeeding. Measurements and findings: The 11-item Breastfeeding Support Confidence Scale (BSCS) measures HCP’s selfefficacy regarding providing breastfeeding support in line with Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding and WHO recommendations. The intervention group experienced a significantly increased self-efficacy from preintervention to post-intervention for 8 of the 11 BSCS items, with the overall BSCS index score increasing from 36.87 to 39.56 points (p = 0.001). The index score in the intervention group at follow-up was significantly higher than the corresponding score in the control group at baseline (p = 0.025). The intervention group had significantly higher scores at follow-up than the control group at baseline on the questions: “I’m sure that I can help mothers continue to breastfeed even if the infant doesn’t follow the growth curve” (p = 0.026) and “I’m sure that I can help mothers continue to breastfeed when the breastfeeding is painful” (p = 0.048). Key conclusions: The breastfeeding training program improved HCP’ self-efficacy to provide evidence-based support to breastfeeding mothers. Implications for practice: This training program is well suited to implement in clinical practice and follows the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.