IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i10p5172-d553811.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Determinants of Successful Exclusive Breastfeeding for Saudi Mothers: Social Acceptance Is a Unique Predictor

Author

Listed:
  • Nada A Alyousefi

    (Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 12372, Saudi Arabia
    King Saud University Medical City, King Saud University, Riyadh 12372, Saudi Arabia)

Abstract

Recent guidelines motivate health care professionals to promote exclusive breastfeeding (EBF). The reported rate of EBF is low in Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to explore the determinants of successful exclusive breastfeeding for Saudi mothers. A cross-sectional, survey-based study was conducted in family medicine clinics. The dependent variable was the actual practice of EBF. Independent variables were the mothers’ demographic information, comfortableness with breastfeeding in public, knowledge and attitudes about breastfeeding, previous experience of successful breastfeeding, and a previous feeding plan. Statistical analysis was carried out using bivariate analysis and multinomial logistic regression. Out of the 322 respondents, only 28% practiced exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months. Perceived insufficient milk ( p = 0.011) was associated with a lower EBF rate. Mothers’ degrees of comfort with breastfeeding in front of their relatives ( p = 0.024) and in front of friends ( p = 0.028) were significantly associated with their infants’ actual feeding practices for the first six months of their infants’ lives. Mothers reported that the absence of a suitable place for breastfeeding caused them to stop breastfeeding ( p = 0.043) and was associated with their infant’s actual feeding practices for the first six months of their infant’s lives. An antenatal breastfeeding intention was considered a significant predictor of EBF; OR: 7.31 (95% CI: 2.24—23.84). Mothers who do not stop breastfeeding when they get sick have a 5.054 times higher chance of continuing EBF (95% CI: 1.037—24.627) than the formula-only feeding group. Thus, social acceptance is a unique predictor for their success in exclusive breastfeeding. Mothers have good intentions and a desire to breastfeed. Therefore, they must be guided through their pregnancy and postpartum period to overcome breastfeeding issues.

Suggested Citation

  • Nada A Alyousefi, 2021. "Determinants of Successful Exclusive Breastfeeding for Saudi Mothers: Social Acceptance Is a Unique Predictor," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-13, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:10:p:5172-:d:553811
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/10/5172/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/10/5172/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lama Alghofaily, 2019. "Women Leadership in Higher Education in Saudi Arabia," International Journal of Social Sciences, International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences, vol. 8(2), pages 14-32, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Lingling Li & Heqing Song & Yu Zhang & Hang Li & Mu Li & Hong Jiang & Yajuan Yang & Ying Wu & Chunyi Gu & Yulian Yu & Xu Qian, 2021. "Breastfeeding Supportive Services in Baby-Friendly Hospitals Positively Influenced Exclusive Breastfeeding Practice at Hospitalization Discharge and Six Months Postpartum," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-12, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tahani I. Aldosemani & Craig E. Shepherd & Doris U. Bolliger, 2024. "Saudi female students’ perceptions of the Community of Inquiry in online learning environments," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Azhar Gawarir & Sue Greener & Surbhi Sehgal, 2022. "An insight to the lived experiences of Saudi females in leadership," International Journal of Social Sciences, European Research Center, vol. 11(2), pages 45-60, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:10:p:5172-:d:553811. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.