Investigation of the Relationship Between Mothers’ Personality Traits and Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy

BACKGROUND: Breastfeeding self-efficacy reflects a mother's willingness to breastfeed, emotional preparedness, and ability to manage potential difficulties. Identifying personality traits associated with low breastfeeding self-efficacy can contribute to increase breastfeeding rates by facilitating early identification of mothers at risk for breastfeeding challenges. PURPOSE: This study was conducted to determine the relationship between mothers' personality traits and their breastfeeding self-efficacy. METHODS: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey method between June 10 and August 10, 2022. The study population consisted of mothers with infants aged 0 to 12 months who were breastfeeding or had stopped breastfeeding. The study was completed with a total of 271 mothers. A Descriptive Information Form, Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form, and 10-Item Personality Inventory were used to collect the data. RESULTS: Among the mothers who participated in the study, 52.4% reported exclusively breastfeeding their babies in the first 6 months, and 79.7% reported at least 1 problem while breastfeeding. The mean total score of the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale was found to be 52.38 ± 9.74. The mean scores for the subscales of the personality scale were as follows: openness to experience 6.83 ± 2.84, conscientiousness 8.47 ± 2.35, extraversion 8.44 ± 2.48, agreeableness 8.83 ± 2.49, and emotional stability 9.48 ± 2.72. However, no significant relationship was found between mothers' personality traits and their breastfeeding self-efficacy (P > .05). CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated that the breastfeeding self-efficacy of mothers was above average. The personality traits of the mothers did not affect their breastfeeding self-efficacy. Our recommendation is to conduct similar studies with different personality trait scales.