Barriers and Facilitators for Exclusive Breastfeeding in Women’s Biopsychosocial Spheres According to Primary Care Midwives in Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain)

Seila Llorente-Pulido, Estefanía Custodio, Maria Rosario López-Giménez, Belén Sanz-Barbero and Laura Otero-García
Additional contact information
Seila Llorente-Pulido: Servicio Canario de Salud. Gerencia de Atención Primaria de Tenerife, Primary Health Care San Isidro, 38611 Tenerife (Canary Islands), Spain
Estefanía Custodio: Joint Research Centre European Commission, 21027 Ispra, Italy
Maria Rosario López-Giménez: Preventive Medicine and Public Health and Microbiology Department, Universidad Autónoma of Madrid, 28029 Madrid, Spain
Belén Sanz-Barbero: National School of Public Health. Health Institute Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
Laura Otero-García: CIBER Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 7, 1-22

Abstract: (1) The objective of our study is to determine, from a primary care midwife’s perspective, which biopsychosocial factors can favour or be detrimental to exclusive breast feeding. (2) The study was carried out in Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain) and is based on qualitative methodology. Twenty in-depth interviews were carried out with midwives working in primary care centres in Tenerife, using a content analysis approach. The transcript data was then encoded following an inductive approach. (3) According to the perceptions of the primary care midwives who were interviewed, the barriers and facilitators that influence exclusive breastfeeding related to the biopsychosocial spheres of women are, at an individual level, the physical and emotional aspects during the postnatal period; at the relationship level, the presence or not of support from the close family and partner; at the community level, the environment and social networks the new mothers may have; and at the work level, characteristics of jobs and early return to work. (4) The findings of our research can help healthcare professionals to approach the promotion and encouragement of exclusive breast feeding at each of the levels studied, with the aim of increasing rates following recommendations issued by The World Health Organization.

Keywords: exclusive breastfeeding; midwife; primary healthcare; Spain (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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