The Relation between Pregnant Women's Self-Efficacy and Their Maternal-Fetal Attachment

Context: Several prenatal and postnatal factors may influence Maternal-Fetal-Attachment (MFA). Few local types of research addressed the relation between MFA and maternal self-efficacy. Aim: To assess the relation between pregnant women's self-efficacy and their MFA. Methods: The study was carried out at the Specialized Maternity Hospital in Port-Said, Egypt, using a cross-sectional analytic study design on a sample of 240 pregnant women attending the setting for follow-up singleton normal pregnancy. The data were collected using a structured interview questionnaire with two standard scales, namely the Maternal Self-Efficacy Scale and Maternal-Fetal Attachment (MFA) Scale. The fieldwork lasted from December 2019 to April 2020. Results: Women ages ranged between 17 and 42 years, and 50% were primigravida. The self-efficacy scores had a wide range (1.3-5.0), with a median of 2.90 from a maximum of 5.00. The median MFA score was 3.59 from a maximum of 5.00. A significant positive correlation was found between self-efficacy and MFA scores (r=0.197). In multivariate analysis, the duration of marriage and income were significant positive predictors of self-efficacy score, while age and previous abortions were significant negative predictors.  As an MFA score, the level of education, husband age, planned pregnancy, and self-efficacy score was its positive predictors. Conclusion: Pregnant women’s self-efficacy has a positive influence on their prenatal MFA. Therefore, increasing pregnant women’s self-efficacy through training and support is highly recommended during antenatal care (ANC) visits.