Examination of Breastfeeding Behaviours of Mothers in the Mediterranean Region in Turkey: A Cross–Sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Breastfeeding rates in Turkey are still below the target breastfeeding rates of the World Health Organization. To boost breastfeeding rates, it is vital to know women's nursing behaviour as well as the variables influencing breastfeeding behaviour. We aimed to determine the breastfeeding behaviours of mothers and the factors affecting these behaviours who applied to a state hospital in the Mediterranean region. Methods: The descriptive, cross - sectional, quantitative study was conducted with 553 mothers who applied to a state hospital between 30 December 2019 and 29 June 2020. The data were collected using a paper-based questionnaire form prepared by the researchers and the LATCH Assessment Tool. Statistical analysis was done with IBM SPSS 20.0. Frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, Chi-Square test, Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal Wallis test were used for data analysis. Results: We found that half of the participants had received education on breastfeeding before the study. Participants who received this education from a midwife had higher rates of breastfeeding within the first hour, the infant's first oral food being colostrum, and LATCH scores (p