The Relationship Between Percieved Self-Efficacy and Postpartum Self-Care Behaviors in Adolescent Mothers

Purpose: This   descriptive   research    study   aimed   to   determine   the relationship   between perceived   self – efficacy  and   postpartum   self – care   behaviors   in  adolescent   mothers.  The Bandura^,s  Perceived  Self – Efficacy  Theory  (1977)   was   employed  as  a   theoretical framework.

 Methods:     A questionnaire  was  developed  to  gather  data  in  relation  to  perceived   self – efficacy  and   postpartum   self – care   behaviors   in adolescent   mothers. Content  validity was  examined by  five  experts. The  Cronbach^,s  alpha  coefficient  of  the  two  parts  of the questionnaires (perceived   self – efficacy  and   postpartum   self – care   behaviors)  were  0.82  and  0.70   respectively. A sample  of  229  adolescent  mothers  who  delivered  a baby and  admitted at the  postnatal  care unit  Sawanpracharak    Nakhonsawan Hospital  from  January to  August  2013  participation  in this  study.

 Results:     The  findings  indicated  that  50.1 percent of  adolescent  mothers  had  the  moderate level  of   perceived   self – efficacy. And  80.2 percent of  adolescent  mothers   had the high level of postpartum   self – care   behaviors.  

 Conclusion: There  was  a  significantly  positive  correlation     between perceived   self – efficacy  and   postpartum   self – care   behaviors   in  adolescent   mothers.  (r = 0.39 ,  p-value  less  than  0.01).