Motivational interviewing to promote sustained breastfeeding.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the feasibility of using motivational interviewing to promote sustained breastfeeding by increasing a mother's intent to breastfeed for 6 months and increasing her breastfeeding self-efficacy.


METHODS
A longitudinal experimental two-group design with repeated measures was selected to explore the feasibility of using motivational interviewing to promote sustained breastfeeding in primiparous mothers.


METHODS
Three Western rural community hospital sites.


METHODS
Convenience sample of 73 primiparous breastfeeding mothers ranging between the ages of 19 and 38, M = 25 (SD = 4.5).


METHODS
Mothers reported the date of their last day of breastfeeding, defined as any breastfeeding during the previous 24-hour period. Breastfeeding behavior was confirmed at each visit by infant test weights.


RESULTS
The motivational interviewing group (M = 98.1 days, SD = 75.2) breastfed longer than the comparison group (M= 80.7 days, SD = 71.9); however, this difference was not significant, t(69) = 0.991, p = .325, Cohen's d = 0.24, related to the variability in the sample.


CONCLUSIONS
Although not a statistically significant difference, the mean number of days that mothers in the intervention group breastfed was 98 days compared to the mean of 81 days by the comparison group; therefore, motivational interviewing may be useful as a strategy to test in a comprehensive intervention plan.
Wilhelm
Susan L
SL
College of Nursing, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Scottsbluff, NE 69361, USA. slwilhel@unmc.edu
Stepans
Mary Beth Flanders
MB
Hertzog
Melody
M
Rodehorst
T Kim Callahan
TK
Gardner
Patti
P
D001942:Breast Feeding; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007224:Infant Care / Q000379:methods*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D016389:Maternal-Child Nursing; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009042:Motivation; D013391:Sucking Behavior