Evaluating Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy in Adolescents Attending a Co-Designed Breastfeeding Program: A Prospective Pilot Cohort Study

Christina M. Cantin (), Wendy E. Peterson, Amisha Agarwal, Jemila S. Hamid, Bianca Stortini and Nathalie Fleming
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Christina M. Cantin: Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada
Wendy E. Peterson: Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1S 5S9, Canada
Amisha Agarwal: Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada
Jemila S. Hamid: Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada
Bianca Stortini: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
Nathalie Fleming: Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 8, 1-13

Abstract: Adolescents have lower rates of breastfeeding (BF) compared to older mothers. BF self-efficacy (SE) has been identified as an important factor influencing BF outcomes. An innovative BF program for young women was co-designed and implemented, which included staff training, a prenatal BF class, and BF peer support. The objective of this prospective pilot cohort study was to evaluate the effectiveness of prenatal education and peer support in improving a young mother’s BF SE. Participants were pregnant adolescents recruited from a large urban non-profit social service outreach centre. The Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (BSES-SF) was administered to participants before and after participating in the BF program. BSES-SF scores were summed to determine a composite score and compared descriptively using median score. Un-aggregated, item-by-item, comparison of pre- versus post-BF program scores were also compared to examine improvements in SE. A total of 20 adolescent mothers (mean age = 16.6) attended the program. An increase in the total BSES-SF score was observed based on descriptively comparing the mean pre- versus post-intervention. Participation in tailored prenatal education classes and a peer-support program was associated with increased BSES-SF. Identifying mothers with low BF SE can enable healthcare professionals to implement targeted interventions in this at-risk population.

Keywords: lactation; breastfeeding; self-efficacy; peer support; adolescent; community-based intervention program (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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