A latent profile analysis of father support breastfeeding self-efficacy in the early postpartum period: a cross-sectional study

Background Paternal support is a key determinant of breastfeeding success, with paternal breastfeeding support self-efficacy serving as the core cognitive foundation for fathers’ involvement in assisting their partners. However, existing research has focused on group-average levels, overlooking heterogeneity. This study used latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify subgroups of paternal breastfeeding support self-efficacy in the early postpartum period and to examine factors associated with profile membership. Methods During September 2024 to February 2025, fathers of newborns were recruited by convenience sampling from a tertiary obstetrics and gynecology hospital in Shanghai. Measures included a general information questionnaire, a breastfeeding knowledge questionnaire, and the Father Support Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (FBSES-SF). Latent profile models were estimated in Mplus 8.3, and factors associated with profile membership were examined using multivariable multinomial logistic regression via the three-step (R3STEP) procedure, which accounts for latent-class classification error. Results The 306 fathers (mean age 31.69 ± 3.93 years) had a mean FBSES-SF total score of (53.03 ± 10.00). Three profiles emerged: low self-efficacy group (18.6%, n = 57), moderate self-efficacy group (64.7%, n = 198), and high self-efficacy group (16.7%, n = 51), which were largely parallel and best interpreted as severity gradations. Lower breastfeeding knowledge (OR = 0.90 per point, 95% CI 0.82–0.99) and perceiving breastfeeding as not important (OR = 9.44, 95% CI 1.65–53.91) were associated with membership in the low rather than the moderate group; perceiving breastfeeding as generally rather than very important (OR = 0.18, 95% CI 0.08–0.42) and expecting non-exclusive feeding (OR = 0.38, 95% CI 0.16–0.89) were associated with lower odds of membership in the high group. Associations were unchanged after adjustment for paternal age, education, and household income. Conclusion Paternal breastfeeding support self-efficacy comprises three profiles that may guide early identification of fathers needing additional support. These findings may inform the development of stratified support strategies; whether such strategies improve paternal support behaviors or breastfeeding outcomes remains a hypothesis to be tested in future longitudinal and interventional studies.