International Journal of Public Health Science (IJPHS)
Vol 15, No 2: June 2026

Effectiveness of a breastfeeding self-efficacy intervention on BSES-SF scores and exclusive breastfeeding: a quasi-experimental study in postpartum mothers

Arifarahmi Arifarahmi (University of Baiturrahim)
Asrial Asrial (University of Jambi)
Muhammad Rusdi (University of Jambi)
Solha Elrifda (Poltekkes Kemenkes Jambi)



Article Info

Publish Date
01 Jun 2026

Abstract

Despite Indonesia's national breastfeeding promotion efforts, exclusive breastfeeding rates remain below the 80% target, with limited evidence on structured breastfeeding self-efficacy (BSE) interventions in low-resource Indonesian settings. To evaluate the effectiveness of a BSE intervention on BSES-SF scores and exclusive breastfeeding continuation during the first six months postpartum. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group was conducted on 104 postpartum mothers (52 intervention, 52 control). Measurements were conducted longitudinally at baseline, weeks 2, 6, 12, and 24 postpartum. Data were analyzed using independent t-test, Chi-square, Cox proportional hazard regression, and linear mixed model (LMM). The intervention group's BSES-SF score increased significantly from 42.35 to 59.73 compared to the control group (41.88 to 48.06, p < 0.001). Exclusive breastfeeding at 24 weeks was significantly higher in the intervention group (71.2% vs. 40.4%, RR = 1.76, p = 0.001). Cox analysis identified the intervention as the strongest protective factor (HR = 0.41, p = 0.001), followed by husband's support (HR = 0.54, p = 0.039), while employment was a risk factor (HR = 1.72, p = 0.034). The non-randomized design and single-site setting may limit generalizability. The BSE intervention effectively increased self-efficacy scores and exclusive breastfeeding rates, suggesting integration into routine postpartum care as a scalable public health strategy.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

IJPHS

Publisher

Subject

Health Professions

Description

International Journal of Public Health Science (IJPHS) is an interdisciplinary journal that publishes material on all aspects of public health science. This IJPHS provides the ideal platform for the discussion of more sophisticated public health research and practice for authors and readers world ...