Factors Predicting Maternal Feeding Behaviors for Toddlers in Java Island, Indonesia

Abstract

Background: Maternal feeding behaviors are well known as a key to toddlers’ health and development. Unfortunately, the impacts of inappropriate maternal feeding behaviors on toddlers’ health are actually increasing in Indonesia. In order to have an effective intervention to promote appropriate maternal feeding behaviors, factors related to maternal feeding behaviors need to be characterized. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the predicting factors of maternal feeding behaviors for toddlers in Java Island, Indonesia. The predicting factors were derived from Pender’s Health Promotion Model and also from empirical literature related to maternal feeding behaviors.

Methods: The study aimed to identify whether maternal age, education, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, perceived self-efficacy and social support could predict maternal feeding behaviors.  One hundred and ten Indonesian mothers who were the main caregivers of their toddlers and lived on Java Island were obtained through multistage random sampling.  The research instruments included the Maternal Feeding Behaviors Questionnaire (MFBQ), the Demographic Characteristic Questionnaire, the Perceived Benefits of Maternal Feeding Behaviors Questionnaire (BeFBQ), the Perceived Barriers to Maternal Feeding Behaviors Questionnaire (BaFBQ), the Perceived Maternal Feeding Behaviors Self-efficacy Questionnaire (FBSeQ) and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Data were collected at the participants’ houses.  The predictive factors for maternal feeding behaviors were examined by stepwise regression analysis.

Results: Four variables including perceived benefits, perceived barriers, perceived self-efficacy, and social support were found to have statistically significant correlations with maternal feeding behaviors at the .05 level. There were significant positive relationships between perceived benefits, perceived self-efficacy, social support, and maternal feeding behaviors (r=.542, p<.01; r=.490, p<.01; r=.196, p<.05, respectively). And significant negative relationship between perceived barriers and maternal feeding behaviors (r=-.213, p<.05). Perceived benefits alone could explain for 29.4% of the variance in maternal feeding behaviors for toddlers in Java Island (R² = .294, F = 44.98, p<.05). The combination between perceived benefits and self-efficacy could explain 36.2% of the variance in maternal feeding behaviors (R² = .362, F = 11.36, p<.05). Moreover, perceived benefits, self-efficacy and barriers could explain 38.5% of variance in maternal feeding behaviors (R² = .385, F = 4.07, p<.05).