A correlational study of breastfeeding duration among Saudi mothers: The role of self-efficacy, intention, and social support

Background: Breastfeeding is an essential source of nutrition for infants and offers numerous
benefits for both the mother and child. Despite the consensus on its advantages, limited
research in Saudi Arabia has explored the factors influencing breastfeeding duration.
Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationships between breastfeeding self-efficacy,
intention, social support, and breastfeeding duration.
Methods: The study employed a correlational research design, and data were collected from
three armed forces hospitals in Taif, Saudi Arabia, from December 2020 to February 2021.
The samples comprised 356 conveniently selected breastfeeding mothers, assessed using the
Breastfeeding Personal Efficacy Beliefs Inventory, Modified Infant Feeding Intention Scale,
and Exclusive Breastfeeding Social Support Scale. Simple linear regressions were conducted
for data analysis.
Results: Breastfeeding duration was divided into two groups. Group 1 consisted of mothers
still breastfeeding at the time of data collection, while Group 2 comprised those who had
discontinued breastfeeding. Of the total samples, 51.6% (n = 184) of mothers were classified
under Group 1, while the remaining 48.4% (n = 172) were allocated to Group 2. Specifically,
78.3% of mothers had stopped breastfeeding by the time their infants were six months old,
and 93.3% intended to introduce formula feeding at three months. In Group 1, the results
revealed that self-efficacy (β = 0.625, p <0.001), intention (β = 0.643, p <0.001), and social
support (β = 0.612, p <0.001) were positively associated with breastfeeding duration. Similarly,
in Group 2, a strong positive correlation was observed between self-efficacy (β = 0.72, p
<0.001), intention (β = 0.73, p <0.001), social support (β = 0.699, p <0.001), and breastfeeding
duration. These three factors jointly explained 40% of the variance in breastfeeding duration
in Group 1 (adjusted R² = 0.4) and 50% in Group 2 (adjusted R² = 0.5).
Conclusion: Breastfeeding intention was found to have a more significant impact on
breastfeeding duration than self-efficacy and social support. These results can inform nurses
and midwives in supporting breastfeeding mothers by providing them with the necessary
information and increasing their awareness of breastfeeding-related factors.