Father Support, Postpartum Depression, and Breastfeeding Weaning Time: A Structural Equation Model

Background: Fathers play a crucial role in family well-being beyond financial support, positively influencing the health of both mothers and infants through involvement in childcare, prenatal care, and emotional support during pregnancy and childbirth. However, research on the long-term effects of father involvement in during prenatal and its postpartum outcome, particularly in Indonesia, is limited.Purpose: This study aimed to measure the direct and indirect effects of father support throughout pregnancy on postpartum depression and breastfeeding weaning time, by considering potential mediating pathways and controlling for relevant sociodemographic variables.Methods: Prospective observational techniques were employed from January to July 2021, involving 648 consecutively selected mothers attending antenatal care in seven health clinics in Makassar. Data collection included meticulous adherence to protocols covering sociodemographic factors, father support, and breastfeeding weaning time. Father support was assessed with the Father Support During Pregnancy questionnaire, administered three times with a 72-hour interval. Postpartum depression was measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, while breastfeeding weaning time was quantified in weeks. Analysis included Spearman's correlation and SEM using SPSS and SPSS Amos.Result: The study identified negative correlations between maternal breastfeeding weaning time and postpartum depression (r=-0.183, p<0.01), and positive correlations with father support (r=0.148, p<0.01), parity (r=-0.269, p<0.01), and marital age (r=0.187, p<0.01). In the standardized model showed a marginal rise in the overall influence of father support, parity, and marital age on breastfeeding weaning time (0.256, 0.016, and 0.123, respectively). Father support emerged as the primary contributor to postpartum depression, inversely impacting breastfeeding duration. Higher father support correlated with lower maternal depression scores, and longer.Conclusion: This study highlights the role of father support in reducing the impact of postpartum depression on breastfeeding duration. Nurses can contribute by participating in interdisciplinary research and advocating for comprehensive assessment approaches.