Analyzing the factors influencing the duration of breastfeeding: An examle of Turkish Republic of Northren Cyprus

Abstract

Objective: Breastfeeding contributes greatly to growing a healthy baby. The nutritional value of breast milk is superior than all artificial food for the development of newborn babies. Besides the nutritional value of breast milk, the duration of breastfeeding is of great importance. The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF suggest exclusive breastfeeding from birth through the first 6 months and continue breastfeeding up to two years. In this study, it is aimed to determine the factors that effect the duration of breastfeeding. Methods: This is a cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted in Gazimagusa, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus between June-August 2013. A hundred and eighty-seven mothers who volunteered to participate were included in this study. Survival analysis was used to clarify the factors that affect the duration of breastfeeding. Results: When overall duration of full breastfeeding was analyzed, duration of exclusive breastfeeding, family type, maternal smoking/alcohol use and starting on additional solid food were found as important risk factors that affect the duration of full breastfeeding within a 95% confidence level. It was also observed that the variables including mother's health status, gestational age, type of birth, family's place of residence, monthly income, mother's schooling level, baby's birth weight, and first breastfeeding time, usage of pacifier, additional use of liquid food and infant formula had an impact on the duration of exclusive breastfeeding within 95% confidence interval. Conclusion: As the logistic regression model is generally used for modelling the breastfeeding, in this study breastfeeding duration is taken into consideration and analyzed by survival analysis methods. Therefore a more appropriate and informative model was obtained.