This study aims to evaluate the effects of a comprehensive breastfeeding education program based on a health literacy development strategy on maternal and paternal breastfeeding self-efficacy, fathers' breastfeeding support, parental health literacy, and breastfeeding outcomes. The sustainability of breastfeeding depends not only on maternal knowledge and skills but also on social support mechanisms and parents' ability to access, understand, evaluate, and use health-related information. Fathers play a crucial role in supporting breastfeeding, yet studies incorporating both fathers and health literacy-based educational strategies remain limited. Therefore, this randomized controlled trial was designed to determine whether a structured breastfeeding education program delivered to both mothers and fathers, in addition to routine postpartum care, improves maternal and paternal breastfeeding self-efficacy, fathers' breastfeeding support, parental health literacy, and breastfeeding outcomes.
This study sought to answer the following questions:
1. Does breastfeeding education based on a health literacy development strategy affect parents' breastfeeding self-efficacy?
2. Does breastfeeding education based on a health literacy development strategy affect fathers' breastfeeding support?
3. Does breastfeeding education based on a health literacy development strategy affect breastfeeding outcomes? If so, what is the nature of this effect?
4. Does breastfeeding education based on a health literacy development strategy affect the health literacy levels of mothers and fathers?