An Ecological Model and Exclusive Breastfeeding

Abstract

This descriptive study aimed to estimate the proportion of exclusive breastfeeding, and to identify its relationship with the ecological model: individual, interpersonal, organizational and community factors. A total of 140 mothers who took their children, under 12 months of age, to receive vaccination at Healthy Children Clinic of Thammasat Hospital during October 2020 to January 2021, participated in this study. Face-to-face interviews and self-administered questionnaires were used for data collection. The data were analyzed using quantity, percent, mean, standard deviation, simple and multiple binary logistic regressions to identify related factors with exclusive breastfeeding, at 5% level of significance.

            The study results did not show any statistically significant relationship between individual, interpersonal, organizational and community factors with exclusive breastfeeding. But Adjusted Odds Ratio of more than 1.5 were the following factors: order of children, premature birth, husband's age, online breast milk support.

            To encourage mothers to EBF her baby, emphasis should be placed on educating both mothers and husbands on exclusive breastfeeding during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. Online forms of breast milk clinics should be strengthened.  Encouraging mothers for easy access to information and knowledge about breastfeeding. When mothers have difficulty with breastfeeding, she can easily consult and ask for advice from public health personnel, especially among mothers with more than one child and younger husbands.