Open AccessIntention to Practice Exclusive Breastfeeding and its Associated Factors among Female College Students
Author(s) -
Kusuma Estu Werdani,
Izzatul Arifah,
Tanjung Anitasari Indah Kusumaningrum,
Anggi Putri Aria Gita,
Suci RamadhaniRamadhani,
Aulia Nimas Rahajeng
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
open access macedonian journal of medical sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.288
H-Index - 17
ISSN - 1857-9655
DOI - 10.3889/oamjms.2021.6655
Subject(s) - breastfeeding , medicine , norm (philosophy) , logistic regression , confidence interval , perception , family medicine , demography , pediatrics , psychology , political science , law , neuroscience , sociology
BACKGROUND: The breastfeeding intention of female students plays an important role in the formation of breastfeeding behavior in the future. Lack of attention to this, both owned by students and those around them, can reduce breastfeeding practices when they become mothers later. Moreover, the process of forming intentions to manifest into behavior takes a long time. Students are considered as an educated group who are expected to be role models in breastfeeding practices in the community.AIM: This study intended to examine the relationship between knowledge, subjective norms, and perceptions (benefits, barriers, and vulnerabilities) toward exclusive breastfeeding intention on female college students of the Public Health department on Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta.METHODS: A college basis cross-sectional study was conducted in March 2021. The samples were 187 female students who were willing to participate in the study. The selection of samples using a proportional random sampling technique. Data were collected online questionnaires through an online survey platform. A multi logistic regression test was deployed to examine the exclusive breastfeeding intention and its associated factors on a 95% confidence interval.RESULTS: Results show that subjective norm is significantly associated with breastfeeding intention (p < 0.05). Students who had supportive subjective norm twice likely to had the intention to practice exclusive breastfeeding OR value 2.22 95% CI (1.07–4.06).CONCLUSION: Overall, the intention to exclusively breastfed their child was related to the student’s subjective norm. The results of this study have an impact on female students to strengthen their intentions and increase their efforts to plan exclusive breastfeeding when they become mothers. Hence, educational communication is needed to the environment around young women regarding the importance of exclusive breastfeeding so that the social environment can provide support to adolescents in the success of exclusive breastfeeding.