Sema ÇİFÇİ, Beril Nisa YAŞAR
Turkish Journal of Public Health - 2026;24(1):138-149
Objective: Health literacy (HL) encompasses the ability of individuals to access, understand, and use health information. In the postpartum period, mothers' HL and Breastfeeding self-efficacy (BSE) levels are critical for both maternal and infant health. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the levels of HL and BSE of mothers with 0-2-week postpartum infants, to analyze differences according to socio-demographic characteristics, and to examine the relationship between HL and BSE.Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 202 mothers with 0-2-week infants between March and April 2024. The data were collected by face-to-face interviews using a socio-demographic information form, HL, and BSE scales and analyzed with the SPSS 25 package program.Results: The participants' HL level (87.02+/-19.69; 25-125 point range) and BSE level (51.12+/-12.74; 14-70 point range) were found to be moderate. Demographic factors such as educational level, social security, family type, and number of children had significant effects on both scales. In addition, a positive correlation was found between HL and BSE.Conclusion: The study findings indicate a statistically significant and positive relationship between mothers' health literacy and breastfeeding self-efficacy. In this context, it is thought that interventions aimed at improving mothers' health literacy may support breastfeeding self-efficacy. It is recommended that midwives and nurses working in primary health care services implement practical breastfeeding counselling programmes, supported by visual materials, for mothers with low health literacy and no social security.
