The Effects of Flipped Classroom-based Prenatal Breastfeeding Education on Maternal Breastfeeding Knowledge, Attitude, Behavior, Self-efficacy, Satisfaction, and Exclusive Breastfeeding Rate: A Quasi-experimental Design

Purpose: There is much evidence to support the role of education in enabling mothers to acquire sufficient knowledge and skills to successfully breastfeed. The limitations of traditional educational methods and the increasing popularity of technology have led to the development of new online educational models. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of flipped classroom-based prenatal breastfeeding education on breastfeeding knowledge, attitude, behavior, self-efficacy, satisfaction, and exclusive breastfeeding rate. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in a baby-friendly hospital in Taiwan. Eighty-one primigravida women were enrolled; 41 in the experimental group and 40 in the control group. The experimental group participated in a flipped classroom-based prenatal breastfeeding educational program, which combined online self-learning and nursing instruction, while the control group received traditional prenatal education. Chi-square and t-tests were used to compare sociodemographic and baseline characteristics between the two groups to test for homogeneity at entry. One-way analysis of variance was performed to test the differences in outcomes between the two groups. Results: The results revealed significantly higher scores in the experimental group in terms of maternal breastfeeding knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, and satisfaction. Compared to the control group, the experimental group had a higher exclusive breastfeeding rate at one month postpartum and a lower bottle feeding rate at two months postpartum. However, there were no significant differences in feeding method between the two groups. Conclusion: Flipped classroom-based prenatal breastfeeding education is a feasible strategy for improving breastfeeding knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, and satisfaction. Compared with the traditional education mode, the flipped classroom-based education has not significantly improved the breastfeeding rate of one month and two months after giving birth.