Highlights
- •Studies focusing on the role of breastfeeding in maternal attachment have reached different conclusions.
- •This study provides evidence that breastfeeding is positively related to maternal attachment.
- •Maternal stress and child behavior problems moderate the relationship between breastfeeding and maternal attachment.
Abstract
Purpose
This study examined the effect of breastfeeding on maternal attachment, and explored
the moderating role of maternal stress and child behavior in this relationship, in
a sample of Spanish mothers with children aged between 2 and 7 years.
Design and methods
A total of 432 mothers participated in a cross-sectional online survey. A three-way
interaction model was used to test the moderating role of maternal stress and child
behavioral problems in the relationship between breastfeeding and maternal attachment.
Results
The full model accounted for 19% of the variance of maternal attachment. Breastfeeding
was significantly associated with mother-rated attachment, and the moderated moderation
analysis confirmed the moderating effects of maternal stress and child behavior on
the relationship between breastfeeding and maternal attachment.
Conclusions
This study adds to the existing literature that supports the contribution that breastfeeding
makes in enhancing maternal attachment, and may help to clarify the role of breastfeeding
in shaping maternal attachment. Our findings suggest that breastfeeding is a factor
in enhancing maternal attachment, and also identify maternal stress and child behavior
as moderators of this relationship.
Practice implications
Understanding the mechanisms by which breastfeeding affects maternal attachment will
help generate recommendations to improve breastfeeding and maternal attachment.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 16, 2022
Accepted:
December 10,
2022
Received in revised form:
October 8,
2022
Received:
May 16,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Corrected ProofIdentification
Copyright
© 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
