Factors Predicting the Duration of Exclusive Breastfeeding among Mothers of Children Aged 6 Months to 2 Years
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Abstract
This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to examine the predictive power of health literacy and social support from husbands, family members, and healthcare providers on the duration of exclusive breastfeeding. The sample consisted of 102 mothers whose youngest child was aged between 6 months and 2 years. Participants were recruited using simple random sampling from mothers attending the “well baby clinic” at an urban community health center, Phrachomklao Hospital, Phetchaburi Province, Thailand, between December 2024 and November 2025. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, a health literacy questionnaire, and a social support questionnaire related to breastfeeding. The reliability of the instruments, assessed by Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, was .81 and .83, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression analysis.
The results revealed that health literacy and social support from husbands, healthcare providers, and family members were significantly positively correlated with the duration of exclusive breastfeeding (r = .603, .391, .436, and .473, respectively; p < .05). Furthermore, these factors collectively explained 47.30% of the variance in exclusive breastfeeding duration (Adjusted R² = .473, p < .05). Health literacy was the strongest predictor, followed by support from husbands, healthcare providers, and family members (Beta = .352, .290, .187, and .185, respectively).
These findings suggest that healthcare providers should develop programs to enhance postpartum women’s health literacy by integrating support from healthcare professionals, husbands, and family members to promote successful exclusive breastfeeding.
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