Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Feb 28;16(5):690.
doi: 10.3390/nu16050690.

Factors Influencing Duration of Breastfeeding: Insights from a Prospective Study of Maternal Health Literacy and Obstetric Practices

Rafael Vila-Candel  1   2   3 , Francisco Javier Soriano-Vidal  3   4   5 , Cristina Franco-Antonio  6 , Oscar Garcia-Algar  7 , Vicente Andreu-Fernandez  8 , Desirée Mena-Tudela  9
Affiliations

Factors Influencing Duration of Breastfeeding: Insights from a Prospective Study of Maternal Health Literacy and Obstetric Practices

Rafael Vila-Candel et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Numerous factors concerning early breastfeeding abandonment have been described, including health literacy (HL). This study's objective was to analyze factors related to early breastfeeding abandonment (<6 months). This prospective multicentric study examined the duration of breastfeeding at 6 months postpartum and was conducted in four different regions of Spain from January 2021 to January 2023. A total of 275 women participated in this study, which focused on maternal HL and obstetric practices. A decrease in the breastfeeding rate was observed from hospital discharge (n = 224, 81.5%) to the sixth month postpartum (n = 117, 42.5%). A Cox regression analysis revealed that inadequate HL levels, lack of mobilization during labour, and induced labour were significantly associated with early breastfeeding cessation (p = 0.022, p = 0.019, and p = 0.010, respectively). The results highlight that women with adequate HL had a 32% lower risk of early breastfeeding abandonment. In comparison, mobilization during labour and induction of labour were linked to a 32.4% reduction and a 53.8% increase in this risk, respectively. These findings emphasize the importance of considering obstetric and HL factors when addressing the breastfeeding duration, indicating opportunities for educational and perinatal care interventions.

Keywords: abandonment; breastfeeding; health literacy; nursing.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Rates of breastfeeding during the study follow-up (N = 275).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Survival curves for early breastfeeding abandonment based on statistically significant variables. Each curve corresponds to a distinct group within the variable, portraying the cumulative probability of participants within that group continuing to breastfeed over time. The x-axis denotes time, and the y-axis represents the proportion of women maintaining breastfeeding at each time point. Disparities between the curves signify variations in the likelihood of breastfeeding continuation between the compared groups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Louis-Jacques A.F., Stuebe A.M. Enabling Breastfeeding to Support Lifelong Health for Mother and Child. Obstet. Gynecol. Clin. N. Am. 2020;47:363–381. doi: 10.1016/j.ogc.2020.04.001. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Linde K., Lehnig F., Nagl M., Kersting A. The association between breastfeeding and attachment: A systematic review. Midwifery. 2020;81:102592. doi: 10.1016/j.midw.2019.102592. - DOI - PubMed
    1. World Health Organization (WHO) United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Protecting, Promoting and Supporting Breast-Feeding: The Special Role of Maternity Services/a Joint WHO/UNICEF Statement. World Health Organization; Geneva, Switzerland: 1989.
    1. World Health Organization. European Health Information Gateway % of Infants Breastfed at Age 6 Months. [(accessed on 23 January 2024)]. Available online: https://gateway.euro.who.int/en/indicators/hfa_616-7260-of-infants-breas....
    1. Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) Tipo de Lactancia Según Sexo y Clase Social Basada en la Ocupación de la Persona de Referencia. Población de 6 Meses a 4 Años. Encuesta Nacional de Salud España. [(accessed on 10 December 2023)]. Available online: https://www.ine.es/jaxi/Tabla.htm?path=/t15/p419/a2017/p06/l0/&file=0600....