Abstract
Objective
To verify the association between breastfeeding self-efficacy of adolescent mothers and length of exclusive breastfeeding.
Methods
Longitudinal and prospective study. The Brazilian version of the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale was used to evaluate breastfeeding self-efficacy, and a questionnaire was administered through telephone contact at 30, 60 and 180 days postpartum to evaluate child feeding.
Results
Of the participants, 56.90% presented a high level of breastfeeding self-efficacy. The prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding was of 62% at 30 days, 52.59% at 60 days and 16% at 180 days postpartum. There was no significant association between confidence and length of exclusive breastfeeding.
Conclusion
Confidence was not a predictive factor in the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among adolescent mothers. However, there is an evident need for new strategies so that adolescents who have complications in these periods are embraced and helped.
Keywords
Breast feeding; Self efficacy; Trust; Adolescent; Maternal and child health