Premium
Influences on Breastfeeding Exclusivity and Duration
Author(s) -
Wells Jody,
Virmani Misty,
Crook Tina,
Phelps Josh,
Hakkak Reza
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.581.2
Subject(s) - breastfeeding , medicine , breast milk , duration (music) , social support , logistic regression , breast feeding , demography , family medicine , obstetrics , pediatrics , psychology , social psychology , art , biochemistry , chemistry , literature , sociology
Breastfeeding is the natural and medically optimal method of human infant feeding. Efforts to understand the factors associated with successful breastfeeding are vitally important to the medical community. The purpose of this study was to determine which factors have the strongest influence on breastfeeding duration and breast milk exclusivity. A questionnaire was administered to 114 breastfeeding mothers who elected to initiate breastfeeding after delivery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Hospital. Outcome measures included number of days infant breastfed, whether they were exclusively breastfed or supplemented with formula, if mothers had social support, the level of perceived medical support, if mothers had previous experience with breastfeeding, and if mothers received breastfeeding education prior to delivery.Significant correlations were found between breastfeeding duration and both previous breastfeeding experience and higher perceived quality of medical support for breastfeeding. Logistic regression showed that social support had an OR = 16.721 related to breast milk exclusivity. Significant correlations were also found between breast milk exclusivity and both maternal race and personal breastfeeding experience. Our findings suggested that social support and previous breastfeeding experience were the best predictors of breast milk exclusively and duration. The results of this study will help guide efforts to improve breastfeeding duration rates and social image of the breastfeeding method.