The infants first year of life are crucial in laying the foundation on good health and improving the quality of life. Hence, the nature provided breast milk for the infant as it can adequately meet all the nutritional needs of baby, especially up
to 4-6
month of age. And over yeas it has become more and more evedent that it is the most ideal, safe and complete food for babies.
Regretably, despite all known facts on the value of human milk, the practice of breast feeding is decreasing in Korea in contrast to its increasing in the western society.
Therefore, this research was undertaken to find out the factors which influenced on prevalence and duration of breast feeding. The subjects were 337 mothers of infants whose age was 6-12 monthand of attended out patient clinic of 3 general
hospitals and
2 wellbaby clinic of health center in Seoul area. The data were collected with questionaire which was developed by researcher from August 16-30, 1992. Results were founded as follows:
1. Majority of respondants were aged between 25-29 (51.6%). college graduates (48.6%), Jobless (67.4%), neuclerc family structure (83.1%), primiparous (61.7%), attended antenatal clinic regularily (94.0%), nipple is normal (82.5%), delivered baby
normally (73.0%) at general hospital (53.1%) or private physicians clinic(46.9%).
2. Majority of respondants infants were aged 6-7 month (36.85), Male(54.6%) and their birth weight was in normal range (87%). And the infants whose mother had job were cared by their grandmother (mother of father and or mothers 68.2%) but they
live
separately from the respondants(60.0%).
3. Among the respondatns. 76.9% have fed breast initially but only 18.4% continued it up to 6 month. The reset were discontinued breast feeding at 1-4week (25.8%), 2-3month(15.7%) and within a week (9.28%), 23.1% fo mothers had never feed breast
milk
for their baby.
4. The prevalence and duration of breast feeding were different significantly by the presence of motheres job(P<.01), have had breast care during the antenatal period (P<.01), planned to feed breast milk exclusively (P<.001) for longer than 6
month
(P<.001), had breast massage during the postpartal period (P<.001), rooming in (P<.001), delivered at private physicians clinic (P<.001) and started breast feeding earlier while they stay in the hospital(P<.001).
5. No relation was found on prevalence and duration of breast feeding by age, educational level, parity, antenatal care rcieved, conditions of nipples, mode of delivery and type of family structure.
6. The subjects yield the reasons for not feed breast milk to their baby were because of bottle feeding have started at the hospital (19.9%), C/S(18.5%), of no secreation of breast milk(12.3%)
7. The reasons of discountinued breast feeding prior to 6 month of infants age were insufficient breast milk (33.8%), mothers job(19.0%) and for the baby's health(10.6%).
8. Percieved mean scores on the factors influenced on breast feeding were attitude toward breast feeding 3.95, knowledge 3.49, knowledge 3.49, health status of mother 3.24, nutritional conditions 3.04, level of stress 2.71, breast feeding methods
3.01,
amount of breast milk 3.58, hospital practice 2.25 and social structure 2.32.
9. Mean scores on the influedcing factors were differed significantly by age, educational level, parity and presence of mothers job, (p<.05-01). Mean scores on the knowledge was lower in the less educated group, on the health status was worse in
the
jobless mothers, on the nutritional condition was worse in the less educated group, on the breast feeding method was lower at age of 20-24, less educated, primipara and working mothers. Mean scores on amount of breast milk was lower in the less
educated
group but higher educated group showed lowest score on hospital practice. Social structur were low scored by less educated and working mothers.
10. Relationship between prevalence, duration of breast feeding and mean scores of related factors rvealed significant differences on breast feeding methods (P<.01), hospital pracitce (p<.01) and social structure (p<.05) that higher scored group
feed
longer meanwhile lower scored group feed shorter and or not feed ever.
11. In the cases of those did not feed breast milk due to no secreation of breast milk, correlation was relatively high between the factors, such as health and nutritional status(r. 40), feeding methods ((r. 42), levels of stress (r. -43) and
social
structure (r. 47) Amounts of breast milk and feeding methods (r. 80) hospital practices (r. 44) and social structure (r. 56).
12. In the cases of discontinued breast feeding prior to 6 month of infants age because of infufficient breast milk, revealed a significant correlation between the factors; the amount of breast milk and health status (r. 18), levels of stress
(r.
22),
breast feeding method (r. 38) and social structure (r. 26).
In conclusion, this study revealed that hospital practices, social structure, breast feeding method are most important factors for breast feeding practices.
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