Mothers’ Expectations and Factors Influencing Exclusive Breastfeeding during the First 6 Months

Esmeralda Santacruz-Salas, Isaac Aranda-Reneo, Antonio Segura-Fragoso, Ana Isabel Cobo-Cuenca, José Alberto Laredo-Aguilera and Juan Manuel Carmona-Torres
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Esmeralda Santacruz-Salas: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain
Isaac Aranda-Reneo: Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain
Antonio Segura-Fragoso: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain
Ana Isabel Cobo-Cuenca: Grupo de Investigación Multidisciplinar en Cuidados (IMCU), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 45071 Toledo, Spain
José Alberto Laredo-Aguilera: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain
Juan Manuel Carmona-Torres: Grupo de Investigación Multidisciplinar en Cuidados (IMCU), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 45071 Toledo, Spain

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 17, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: The aims were to determine Spanish women’s expectations about exclusive breastfeeding (EB) and the effect of expectations and other factors on EB during the first 6 months. A prospective cohort study was conducted with 236 participants. Variables were maternal age, marital status, occupation, expectations about breastfeeding, knowledge about breastfeeding, type of delivery, type of feeding, and duration of EB. Data were collected through three personal interviews, at the hospital (before delivery) and in two telephone calls in the first and sixth months postpartum. Average age was 32.3 years (SD = 5.3); average duration of EB was 2.73 months (SD = 2.49). Of 236 women who had decided to breastfeed before birth, 201 (85.2%) offered EB after delivery. Achievement of expectations was most influenced by the decision to continue breastfeeding ‘as long as I can’ (OR: 5.4; CI: 2.0–14.6) and previous experience (OR: 3.2; CI: 1.2–8.5). Knowledge of breastfeeding acquired from relatives (OR: 9.2; CI: 3.0–27.9), caesarean delivery (OR: 4.6; CI: 1.7–12.8) and maternal age (36–40 years old) (OR: 7.5; CI: 1.8–30.9) were associated with failure to achieve EB. Achievement of EB may depend on a woman’s confidence in her ability to do so and on knowledge obtained in the social environment.

Keywords: expectations; breastfeeding; exclusive breastfeeding; failure to meet expectations; influencing factors; self-efficacy of breastfeeding (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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