Effect of Attachment Education on Maternal–Infant Attachment among Primigravida Women: A Quasi-Experimental Study

INTRODUCTION: To investigate the effect of attachment training on maternal–infant attachment.
METHODS: A quasi-experimental, prospective study with a pre- and post-test design was conducted among primiparous pregnant women who visited a tertiary maternity hospital between August 2023 and January 2024 to assess maternal–infant attachment and attachment knowledge level before and after the introduction of online attachment education. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling and allocated to either the experimental group (n=30) or the control group (n=30). The first phase of the study was conducted by administering a set of questions related to sociodemographic characteristics and completing the attachment knowledge questionnaire, followed by online attachment education. After the intervention, pregnant women were assessed using the attachment knowledge questionnaire and the Maternal Attachment Inventory (MAI).
RESULTS: There was a significant increase in pregnant women’s knowledge regarding maternal–infant attachment (p<0.001). The median MAI scores were 100 (range: 88–104) in the experimental group and 98.5 (range: 87–104) in the control group. Although the experimental group had slightly higher MAI scores, the difference between the groups did not reach statistical significance (p=0.103). However, this borderline value may indicate a potential trend toward improved maternal–infant attachment in the intervention group, which could be clinically relevant and warrants further investigation with larger samples.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The findings of the study suggest that attachment education may be beneficial in increasing knowledge of maternal–infant attachment.

Keywords: Attachment, knowledge, mother-infant attachment, primiparous, training.