Investigation of the relationship between social support and breastfeeding self-efficiency in nursing mothers

Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure the health and survival of children. Perceived support from the environment and the mother's belief that she can breastfeed are important factors in providing and maintaining effective breastfeeding. In this study, it was aimed to examine the relationship between perceived social support and breastfeeding self-efficacy in breastfeeding mothers. The sample of the study consisted of 287 women who gave birth by vaginal or cesarean section in Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University Hospital. The Personal and Breastfeeding Characteristics Data Form, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (BSES) were used to collect the data. In this study, the mean MSPSS total score was 57.5±15.0, the mean score for the family subscale was 16.4±6.0, the mean score for the friend subscale was 19.4±5.2, and the mean score for a special person subscale was 21.7±5.4. In this study, the mean score of BSES was found to be 57.4±9.4. The mean scores of the mothers on BSES and the total mean score of MSPSS (r = 0.257, p<0.001), family (r = 0.221, p<0.001), friend (r = 0.240, p<0.001) and a special person (r = 0.264, p<0.001), it was determined that there was a statistically significant, linear and same sided relationship between sub-dimension mean scores. According to the education level of the mothers included in the study, the difference between the MSPSS family and friends subdimensions and the total mean scores was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). There was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of a special human sub-dimension of MSPSS according to infant gender (p<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the mean scores of BSES according to the socio-demographic and obstetric characteristics of the mothers (p>0.05). In this study, as the perceived social support level of mothers increases, breastfeeding self-efficacy increases. For this reason, it is important to consider the mother together with her social environment, to educate and encourage social support resources in order to provide optimum social support to mothers. It is important that social support resources support the mother during the birth, breastfeeding and care processes of the baby, starting from pregnancy. Keywords: Perceived Social Support, Breastfeeding, Breastfeeding Self-efficacy, Postpartum.