BREASTFEEDING SELF-EFFICACY EDUCATION TO INCREASE EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING COVERAGE

Exclusive breastfeeding remains suboptimal in many Indonesian communities despite its critical role in infant health and development. Low maternal confidence and limited knowledge about breastfeeding techniques contribute to early formula introduction. This community service activity aimed to enhance breastfeeding self-efficacy among postpartum mothers to increase exclusive breastfeeding coverage. The intervention employed interactive education sessions, practical demonstrations with leaflet, and peer support groups facilitated by cadres. Pre- and post-intervention assessments measured changes in maternal self efficacy. Results showed a significant improvement in breastfeeding self-efficacy scores before and after giving the education. Mothers reported greater confidence in managing common breastfeeding challenges and stronger support networks. This initiative demonstrates that targeted self-efficacy education effectively addresses behavioral barriers to exclusive breastfeeding. Scaling such community-based empowerment programs through integrated maternal-child health services could substantially improve infant nutrition outcomes in similar settings.