Leia Chatman and Hamisu Salihu are in the Department of Maternal and Child Health, and Pauline Jolly is in the Department of Epidemiology and International Health, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA; and Michele Roofe, Patrick Wheatle, and Donnadeen Henry are at the Northeastern Regional Health Authority, Ministry of Health, Jamaica.
1523-536X/asset/olbannerleft.gif?v=1&s=9d8562768336b12f59a128355559dc4c6aee2552)
1523-536X/asset/olbannerright.gif?v=1&s=400cd4da6722fa4d6404949211a6ca9ee7e42670)
Influence of Knowledge and Attitudes on Exclusive Breastfeeding Practice Among Rural Jamaican Mothers
Article first published online: 25 NOV 2004
DOI: 10.1111/j.0730-7659.2004.00318.x
Additional Information
How to Cite
Chatman, L. M., Salihu, H. M., Roofe, M. E.A., Wheatle, P., Henry, D. and Jolly, P. E. (2004), Influence of Knowledge and Attitudes on Exclusive Breastfeeding Practice Among Rural Jamaican Mothers. Birth, 31: 265–271. doi: 10.1111/j.0730-7659.2004.00318.x
This research was funded by the Minority International Research Training (MIRT) grant #T37-TW00077 from the Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and the Ministry of Health, Jamaica.
Publication History
- Issue published online: 25 NOV 2004
- Article first published online: 25 NOV 2004
- Abstract
- Article
- References
- Cited By
Abstract: Background: A large number of mothers may not be practicing exclusive breastfeeding in rural Jamaica, although no recent systematic study has been conducted. The impact of knowledge about and attitude toward breastfeeding on the duration of exclusive breastfeeding is also poorly understood. The objective of this study was to gather information about factors that influence exclusive breastfeeding and its duration. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 11 health centers within the parish of Saint Ann, Jamaica. A pretested questionnaire collected information on breastfeeding knowledge and attitudes toward intention to breastfeed and other relevant sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Information was documented for 599 mother-child pairs. The prevalence of breastfeeding initiation was 98.2 percent; of mothers who initiated breastfeeding, 22.2 percent practiced it exclusively (at least 6 months). No difference occurred between exclusive and nonexclusive breastfeeding mothers in terms of knowledge about and attitudes toward breastfeeding. Of potential predictors assessed, the male partner's role as the main source of income for the family was the only significant predictor for exclusive breastfeeding. Women whose male partner was the main source of income for the family were twice as likely to exclusively breastfeed their infants compared with the referent group (mothers as main source of income)(OR = 2.0; 95% CI = 1.4–3.0). In addition, the dominant reason for partial breastfeeding was maternal anxiety that breastmilk alone might not provide sufficient nourishment. Conclusion: The level of exclusive breastfeeding was extremely low at the study site. Formulation of strategies to aggressively promote exclusive breastfeeding practices is urgently needed there. Such interventions should consider involvement of the male partner, especially, with respect to the financial support, as well as alleviating maternal anxiety regarding nutritional adequacy of breastmilk.