Maternal-fetal Medicine Research Center, Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Department of Midwifery, Behbahan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Behbahan, Iran.
BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2024 Apr 16;24(1):279. doi: 10.1186/s12884-024-06494-z.
Despite the World Health Organization's (WHO) emphasis on exclusive breastfeeding, the documents show a declining trend worldwide. Studies assert that the mother's personality traits appear to have an impact on this issue. This study aimed to investigate the potential influence of personality traits on exclusive breastfeeding, which might be channeled by self-efficacy as a mediator variable.
Data were analyzed from the cross-sectional study. The exclusive breastfeeding scale, the breastfeeding self-efficacy questionnaire, and the Five-Factor Model questionnaire (as follows: neuroticism, extraversion, openness experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) were completed by120 Iranian volunteer mothers with an infant aged 6-12 months referred to health centers in Shiraz (a major city in southern Iran) between May to December 2019. The structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was used to obtain the direct and indirect effects of personality traits and self-efficacy on exclusive breastfeeding.
The study showed the significant direct effect of some personality traits (agreeableness, extraversion, and consciousness) and self-efficacy on exclusive breastfeeding. The indirect effect of extraversion on exclusive breastfeeding through self-efficacy was also obtained from the result of SEM analysis. The model fit the data satisfactorily, according to the fit indices criteria extracted from the mediational analysis.
Self-efficacy appears to be a significant predictor of exclusive breastfeeding. Therefore, exclusive breastfeeding could be enhanced by safe education in pregnancy, reinforcing the self-efficacy of pregnant women and considering their personality traits.
尽管世界卫生组织（WHO）强调纯母乳喂养，但全球数据显示母乳喂养率呈下降趋势。研究表明，母亲的个性特征似乎对此有影响。本研究旨在探讨个性特征对纯母乳喂养的潜在影响，而自我效能感可能作为中介变量起作用。
本研究采用横断面研究设计，对 2019 年 5 月至 12 月期间在伊朗南部城市设拉子的健康中心就诊的 120 名 6-12 个月龄婴儿的伊朗志愿者母亲进行了调查。参与者填写了母乳喂养量表、母乳喂养自我效能问卷和五因素模型问卷（神经质、外向性、开放性体验、宜人性和尽责性）。采用结构方程模型（SEM）方法，获得个性特征和自我效能感对纯母乳喂养的直接和间接影响。
研究表明，一些个性特征（宜人性、外向性和意识）和自我效能感对纯母乳喂养有显著的直接影响。从中介分析的结果中还得出了外向性通过自我效能感对纯母乳喂养的间接影响。根据从中介分析中提取的拟合指数标准，该模型对数据的拟合情况良好。
自我效能感似乎是纯母乳喂养的重要预测指标。因此，可以通过在怀孕期间进行安全教育来增强纯母乳喂养，增强孕妇的自我效能感，并考虑其个性特征。
