Effectiveness of a Virtual Health Promotion Program based on the Health Belief Model in Improving Health Beliefs and Exclusive Breastfeeding Practices among Multigravida Mothers in Indonesia

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a virtual health promotion programme based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) in improving HBM-related health beliefs and exclusive breastfeeding practices among multigravida mothers in the working area of Puskesmas Medan Tuntungan, Indonesia.

Methods: A quasi-experimental, two-group pretest–posttest design was conducted from February to June 2026. Sixty multigravida mothers were allocated to an intervention group (n = 30) receiving HBM-based virtual health promotion or a control group (n = 30) receiving routine maternal and child health education. HBM-related health beliefs and exclusive breastfeeding practices were assessed before and after the intervention. Statistical analyses were performed according to data distribution and measurement scale.

Results: The intervention group demonstrated a substantial increase in total HBM scores, from 67.43 ± 7.25 at baseline to 83.67 ± 6.14 after the intervention, representing a mean increase of 16.24 points (p < 0.001). Improvements were observed across all six HBM constructs, with the largest increase in self-efficacy (4.28 points). The proportion of mothers reporting good exclusive breastfeeding practices increased from 46.7% to 86.7% in the intervention group, whereas the control group increased from 43.3% to 56.7%.

Conclusion: A virtual health promotion programme grounded in the HBM was associated with improved maternal health beliefs and exclusive breastfeeding practices among multigravida mothers. This approach may provide a flexible and feasible strategy for strengthening breastfeeding promotion within primary healthcare services.