Factors Influencing Breastfeeding Behaviors of Thai Karen Hill Tribe Mothers in Nagian Sub-district, Omkoi District, Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

            This retrospective study aimed to examine breastfeeding behaviors of Thai Karen hill tribe mothers and factors that influenced the breastfeeding practice of 157 Thai Karen hill tribe mothers in Nagian sub-district, Omkoi district, Chiang Mai province. Data were collected using questionnaires comprising 5 parts, namely, personal information, survey of knowledge about breastfeeding, survey of breastfeeding attitudes, survey of social support, and survey of breastfeeding behaviors of Thai Karen hill tribe mothers. The questionnaire was validated in terms of content and the index of Item-Objective Congruence (IOC) was 1. For the reliability, Cronbach’s coefficient alphas of the breastfeeding attitude survey, the social support survey, and the breastfeeding behavior survey were 0.92, 0.89, and 0.90, respectively. Lastly, the survey of knowledge about breastfeeding was analyzed using Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 (KR-20) and its reliability was 0.94. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, comprising frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation; and through multiple linear regression analysis.
            The results showed that the practice of breastfeeding among Thai Karen hill tribe mothers was at a moderate level (Mean = 1.99). 48.41% of these Karen hill tribe mothers were found to have poor knowledge about breastfeeding, while 45.86 % had fair knowledge. The findings also showed that the overall attitude towards breastfeeding was at a moderate level (Mean = 3.63), the same level as the overall social support’s (Mean = 3.66). It was found that the 5 statistically significant factors with p < .05 that affected the breastfeeding practice of Thai Karen hill tribe mothers were: types of childbirth delivery, problems and obstacles during breastfeeding period, culture of breastfeeding, knowledge about breastfeeding, and social support. These could explain the percentage variance of 56 (R² = 0.56, F = 37.87). in breastfeeding practice among Thai Karen hill tribe mothers.