Association between Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy and Infant Feeding Attitudes among Mothers of Infants Aged 0-6 Months

Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the association between mothers' breastfeeding self-efficacy for infants aged 0-6 months and their attitudes toward infant feeding.Materials and Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with mothers of infants aged 0-6 months.Data were collected using a questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics and breastfeeding status, as well as the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale and the Infant Feeding Attitude Scale.For the statistical analysis of the data, mean, standard deviation, percentage distributions, and linear regression analysis were employed.Results: This study found that the mothers had high levels of breastfeeding self-efficacy (57.66±8.49)and positive infant feeding attitudes (56.99±7.09).According to the results of the regression analysis, it was determined that the mothers' breastfeeding self-efficacy scores positively and statistically significantly predicted their infant feeding attitude scores (β=0.208;p=0.001).Conclusion: This study showed that mothers' perceptions of their breastfeeding self-efficacy positively influence their attitudes toward infant feeding.Accordingly, the development of clinical interventions focused on breastfeeding self-efficacy, particularly during the critical first six months after birth, may play an important role in increasing breastfeeding success.