Effect of Motivational Interviewing on Exclusive Breastfeeding in Working Mothers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Objectives: Globally the rate of exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months postpartum remains low. We aimed at evaluating the effect of an intervention involving motivational interviewing (MI) and implementation intentions (IMI) on promoting exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in Chinese working mothers. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted, in which 460 new mothers from 4 hospitals were recruited. Mothers in the intervention group (MI group) received MI via telephone at 8 weeks postpartum and completed online IMI questionnaire 1 week later. Mothers in the control group received usual care. The primary outcome was moderation effect of breastfeeding self-efficacy (BSE) on the between-group difference in the likelihood of continuing EBF at 6 months postpartum. Intention-to-treat (ITT) and sensitivity analyses (SA) were conducted. Results: Although the results based on ITT was insignificant, SA showed significant moderation effect of BSE (log odds = 1.23, 95% CI: 0.20-2.26). Conclusions: The present study revealed that single-session MI telephone-based intervention helped boost maternal motivation for EBF, especially for those with inadequate BSE. Public health interventions that help nurture breastfeeding friendly culture in the workplace and community should be coupled with individualized interventions to dampen early cessation of breastfeeding.