The Effect of Podcast and Pregnancy School Education on Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy and Infant Feeding Attitudes

Plain-language summary

Self-efficacy is a fundamental component for individuals to effectively manage and succeed in a given domain. In this context, breastfeeding self-efficacy is essential for the successful initiation and continuation of breastfeeding. High levels of breastfeeding self-efficacy among pregnant women facilitate adaptation to the postpartum period. Educational interventions provided during the final stages of pregnancy contribute to increased self-efficacy and promote smoother adjustment to the postpartum process. Therefore, antenatal education plays a crucial role in preparing women for the postpartum period. Accessibility to educational programs is key to reaching a larger population of pregnant women. Antenatal classes offer rich and comprehensive content, but their in-person nature requires women to physically attend clinical settings. It is essential that educational materials are also accessible to women who are unable to attend such facilities. Podcasts, which have become a part of our daily lives in recent years, can be utilized as an educational tool during pregnancy and other life stages. Podcasts are media files distributed over the internet and playable on portable devices. The core purpose of a podcast is to provide professional audio content that can be listened to anytime, anywhere, based on the listener's preference. This makes podcast-based education a highly accessible form of learning, particularly for pregnant women who can engage with the material as often as they wish, at their convenience of time and place. Moreover, because podcasts do not involve visual elements (e.g., video or images), they can serve as a supportive platform that women can utilize during daily activities such as housework, walking, or cooking. When reviewing previous thesis studies related to antenatal education, it is evident that most have focused on how antenatal classes affect childbirth fear and birth outcomes. On the other hand, thesis studies involving podcasts have largely been conducted in the fields of journalism, communication sciences, advertising, education, and sociology. The inclusion of a podcast intervention group in the proposed thesis will contribute novel findings from a type of intervention that has not previously been applied in the health sciences. The fact that previous podcast-related theses were in different disciplines demonstrates that podcasts are not limited to a single field but can be effective across various domains. Therefore, using podcasts during pregnancy, examining their impact on successful breastfeeding, and comparing them with a traditionally used method constitutes the most distinctive aspect of this thesis. A review of the broader literature outside of theses shows that podcasts are indeed used in the health field, primarily as a tool for raising awareness on specific topics. However, only one study in the field of obstetrics was identified, which investigated the effects of educational podcasts on women's sense of control and satisfaction during childbirth. That particular study included only low-risk pregnant women. In light of existing literature and previously conducted theses, the planned study is believed to be a novel contribution to the field of midwifery. It offers a new perspective to the literature and addresses women's health in a holistic manner by encompassing both the pregnancy and postpartum periods. This comprehensive approach is considered one of the key strengths of the research.

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