Abstract
Objective:to identify the levels of anxiety and breastfeeding self-efficacy in puerperal women at the intervals of 60, 120, and 180 days postpartum; and to verify the influence of anxiety on breastfeeding self-efficacy among these puerperal women.Method:an analytical, longitudinal and prospective study, conducted with 186 puerperal women, and which used a sociodemographic and obstetric characterization questionnaire, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale - Short Form. The analyses were performed by means of descriptive statistics, and Fisher’s Exact Test was used.Results:most of the puerperal women presented low levels of trait anxiety (55.4%) and of state anxiety (66.2% at 60 days, 72.8% at 120 days, and 75.5% at 180 days), and a high level of self-efficacy (77.3% at 60 days, 75.3% at 120 days, and 72.1% at 180 days of puerperium). Low levels of trait anxiety and state anxiety were associated with high self-efficacy at 60 days (p=0.0142 and p=0.0159, respectively).Conclusion:it is necessary to pay greater attention to the mental health of puerperal women, considering that those who presented low levels of anxiety had higher levels of self-efficacy, a situation that can result in longer exclusive breastfeeding.
Highlights
Adequate nutrition during childhood is considered essential and of great repercussion for reaching better health, nutrition, growth, development, and surviving conditions of the infant, a stage in which breastfeeding stands out as the ideal nutrition source[1,2]
Conclusion: it is necessary to pay greater attention to the mental health of puerperal women, considering that those who presented low levels of anxiety had higher levels of self-efficacy, a situation that can result in longer exclusive breastfeeding
The study population consists of all women at 60 days postpartum, and who were present for the monitoring of their child in the childcare consultation or for vaccination in the Basic Health Unit (BHU)
Summary
Adequate nutrition during childhood is considered essential and of great repercussion for reaching better health, nutrition, growth, development, and surviving conditions of the infant, a stage in which breastfeeding stands out as the ideal nutrition source[1,2]. Breastfeeding is the most efficient action, for it has repercussions in the comprehensive health of both mother and child, in addition to nurturing, reinforcing the bond, and promoting affection and protection, impacting on the health indicators of the entire society[2,3]. The National Study on Infant Feeding and Nurturing (Estudo Nacional de Alimentação e Nutrição Infantil, ENANI), which is the most recent research study conducted about breastfeeding indicators in Brazil, observed in its preliminary results an increase in all the prevalence values of this practice in children under five years of age[4]. Women who trust in their ability to breastfeed do so for a longer period when compared to those who lack such self-confidence, turning self-efficacy into an important protective factor for breastfeeding[9]
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