Abstract:
his predictive study aimed to investigate the predictive ability of maternal age, anxiety, neonatal behavior perception, separate time, infant birth weight, and social support on maternal role attainment in postpartum mothers with preterm babies. One hundred and twelve mothers who delivered their preterm babies who had a follow up at Songkhlanakarin hospital were included. The Demographic Characteristics Interview, the Assessment of Anxiety Form, the Neonatal Behavior Perception Questionnaire, the Social Support Questionnaire, and the Assessment of Maternal Role Attainment Form were used. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, Pearsons product-moment correlation, and multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed that maternal age, anxiety, neonatal behavior perception, separate time, and infant birth weight together with social support can predict maternal role attainment in postpartum mothers of preterm babies by 52.8 % (F = 19.547, p < .01). Maternal age and separate time could predict maternal role attainment in postpartum mothers of preterm babies with statistical significance (p < .001). The suggestions from the study are that nurses should enhance maternal role attainment, encourage depending on maternal age and mothers to care for their preterm babies as soon as possible