ir
Original Article (Pages: 4457-4467)
Abstract
Background
Although exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is highly emphasized by the experts, nulliparous women do
not adhere to this behavior at a desirable level. Since it seems that mothers’ beliefs and values play an
important role in their adherence to these behaviors, the present study, aimed to perform a careful
analysis of the behavior and evaluation of factors associated with the EBF in nulliparous women
referring to healthcare centers in Bushehr using theory of planned behavior.
Materials and Methods
This is a cross-sectional study, which was conducted on 400 nulliparous mothers with children less
than six-months who referred to healthcare centers in Bushehr, Iran. Stratified random-sample was
used and data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire and were later analyzed using
statistical tests, including Pearson, Spearman, linear regression and logistic regression in SPSS
version 22.0 Software.
Results
The results showed that 62.5% of infants were exclusively breast-fed. Variables such as infant'
gender, father's occupation and type of pregnancy were significantly related with EBF behavior.
Constructs, including attitude (P< 0. 001, r=0.295), subjective norms (P< 0. 001, r=0.376) and
perceived behavioral control (P< 0. 001, r=514) were significantly correlated with the EBF intention.
Subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and behavioral intention predicted 13.8% changes in
mothers' breastfeeding behavior.
Conclusion
The theory of planned behavior is an appropriate framework to identify factors associated with the
EBF behavior among nulliparous Iranian mothers. Therefore, designing interventions based on this
theory seems to have the potential to improve the EBF practice.
Keywords: Exclusive Breast Feeding, Theory of Planned Behavior, Nulliparous women.
*Please cite this article as: Jamei F, Ostovar A, Javadzade H. Predictors of Exclusive Breastfeeding among
Nulliparous Iranian Mothers: Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior. Int J Pediatr 2017; 5(3): 4457-67.
DOI: 10.22038/ijp.2016.20815.1748
*Corresponding Author:
Homamodin Javadzade, Bushehr, Bahmani, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences Campus, Faculty of
Health.
Email: sh.javadzadeh@bpums.ac.ir
Received date Dec.13, 2016; Accepted date: Jan. 22, 2017
society; therefore the present study aimed Four attitude questions with 3 to 9
to determine the most important factors Semantic Differential (SD) 5 pointed
affecting the breastfeeding behavior of measures mother’s reactions to stimulus
mothers with children less than six months words and concepts in terms of ratings on
who referred to healthcare centers in bipolar scales defined with contrasting
Bushehr, Iran by using the theory of adjectives at each end such as "Feeding my
planned behavior. The results of the child with my milk is pleasant/
present study can help, by identifying unpleasant", 12 questions to measure
important factors affecting the subjective norms with answers in Likert
breastfeeding behavior of mothers, design five-option from strongly disagree to
appropriate educational interventions and strongly agree, such as "Most people who
strategies to promote EBF and the are important to me, want me to feed my
prevention of early cessation of EBF. baby with my milk". Five questions were
related to perceived behavioral control
2- MATERIALS AND METHODS with answers in Likert five-option from
2-1. Study design and population strongly disagree to strongly agree such as
"If I want, I can feed my baby with my
The present research was a cross- milk". Five questions on the behavioral
sectional study, which was conducted on intention and answers about the intention
400 nulliparous women referring health with answers in Likert five-option from
centers in Bushehr city, South West of strongly disagree to strongly agree such as
Iran. "I'm going to breastfeed my baby to the
2-2. Methods end six months". The third part included
question on breastfeeding behavior
In this study the stratified random assessment that was developed based on
sampling was done in all Healthcare the definition of EBF.
centers (11 centers) in Bushehr. In the
implementation phase, subjects were Content validity was assessed using two
randomly selected in proportion to the methods: qualitative and quantitative. In
number of mothers with records registered the qualitative method, the prepared
in each center. The researcher attended to instrument was given to 14 health
healthcare centers within May and June education and health promotion experts
2016, and research questionnaires were after performing library research,
completed by mothers after obtaining their searching valid scientific resources and
informed consent letter. other questionnaires approved in this field;
and they were asked to investigate
2-3. Measuring tools: validity and questionnaires according to criteria,
reliability including compliance with grammar, use
Data collection tool included a researcher- of appropriate terms, necessity of placing
made questionnaire and consisted of three phrases in the right place, good scoring
parts. The first part consists of 8 and provide the necessary feedback. The
questions related to demographic questionnaire was modified based on the
characteristics (age, family size, spouses’ feedback and comments provided by
job, type of delivery, infant sex, spouses’ experts and their coordination.
level of education, type of pregnancy and In the quantitative analysis content
household income). The second part validity, two indices, including content
related to the theory of planned behavior validity ratio (CVR) and content validity
constructs. The following questions were index (CVI) were calculated. To determine
considered in this part: the content validity ratio (CVR), experts
Table-1: Comparing the demographic characteristics between mothers who practiced breastfeeding
and those who didn't practice exclusive breastfeeding
Variables With exclusive Without exclusive P-value
breastfeeding breastfeeding
N (%) N (%)
Wanted 176 (54.5) 28 (36.4)
Type of pregnancy 0.003
Unwanted 147 (45.5) 49 (63.6)
Vaginal delivery 103 (53.6) 89 (46.4)
Type of delivery 0.3
Caesarean section 101 (48.6) 107 (51.4)
Less than two months 14 (58.3) 10 (41.7)
Infant age Two months 93 (49.7) 94 (50.3) 0.562
Four months 89 (47.1) 100 (52.9)
Boy 87 (45.1) 106 (54.9)
Infant gender 0.02
Girl 117 (56.5) 90 (43.5)
Housewife 160 (51.9) 148 (48.1)
Mother's job 0.283
Employed 44 (47.8) 48 (52.2)
Illiterate 4 (100) 0 (0)
Table-2: Matrix of correlation between constructs theory of planned behavior and the exclusive
breastfeeding behavior in nulliparous mothers with children less than six months in Bushehr
Variables Attitude Subjective Behavioral Behavioral
norm control intention
Attitude 1
Subjective norm *0.391 1
Behavioral control *0.464 *0.437 1
Behavioral intention *0.295 *0.376 *0.514 1
*P<0.01.
prevalent among them. This finding has study, there was a relationship between
also been reported in other studies (16). It mothers' intention on their exclusive
seems that mothers' tendency to breastfeed breastfeeding practice and the
their baby girl more than their baby boys is breastfeeding behavior was seen more in
related with mothers' culture and beliefs in mothers who intended to breastfeed.
various communities. Probably the According to the theory of planned
mother's perception that baby girls may be behavior, the behavioral intention is
more vulnerable in this regard and thus affected by other factors such as attitudes,
more likely to need extensive care was subjective norms, and perceived
more effective on their breast-feeding behavioral control. In the present study,
attitudes and behaviors. On the other hand, there as a relationship between
this behavior can be attributed to mothers' breastfeeding behavior and constructs,
cultural belief that baby boys have more including attitudes, perceived behavioral
diverse nutritional needs and breastfeeding control and behavioral intention (the desire
can't satisfy their nutritional needs; to breastfeed), which predicted 13.8% of
therefore, it is stopped in them sooner than changes in the behavioral intention. In line
the baby girls and they are fed with other with the results of the present study, the
foods. However, although there is such research conducted by Ismail et al. showed
notion, it must be acknowledged that it is that constructs of theory of planned
true and must be corrected by raising behavior predicted 51% of changes in the
maternal awareness about the importance exclusive breastfeeding behavior (30).
and effect of breastfeeding mothers on In a study, McMillan et al. showed that
babies regardless of their gender. In this constructs of attitudes, subjective norms,
study, mothers who had wanted pregnancy and perceived behavioral control, along
were more willing to practice the exclusive with some other factors predicted the
breastfeeding behavior. In line with the breastfeeding intention. Generally,
results of this study, the research constructs of theory of planned behavior
conducted by Haughton et al. showed that (subjective norms, perceived behavioral
women who had wanted pregnancies were control and behavioral intention) predicted
twice as likely to practice the breastfeeding 21% of changes in the breastfeeding
behavior (29). behavior of nulliparous mothers. The
In a study, Hamade et al. also showed that results showed that attitude had no direct
wanted pregnancy affected breastfeeding effect on the breastfeeding behavior and
adherence rate among mothers (7). It this construct affected the behavior only
seems that designing and providing through affecting their intention. However,
appropriate prevent unwanted pregnancy, subjective norms directly affected the
providing appropriate training to prevent breastfeeding behavior of mothers and not
unwanted pregnancy and to increase through the intention. In a study, Bai et al.
wanted pregnancies, can be effective in showed that constructs of theory of
improving breastfeeding behavior among planned behavior had a significant role in
mothers. Based on behavioral theories, predicting the breastfeeding behavior of
although it is difficult to create many mothers and factors related to the theory,
health-oriented behaviors, it is assumed predicted 50% of changes in the
that if individuals have a strong intention breastfeeding behavior. Among constructs
to perform a special behavior, they are of theory of planned behavior, the
more likely to perform the desired behavioral intention and then perceived
behavior than when the intention of the behavioral control, were stronger
above behavior is weak. In the current predictors of breastfeeding behavior of
mothers (31). Since the present study was also play an effective role in improving
conducted in the city of Bushehr, it is mothers' performance. Overall, constructs
impossible to generalize its results to other of theory of planned behavior are
societies due to of cultural, social and recommended as a framework for
economic differences. Also, the implementing educational interventions to
breastfeeding behavior was measured correct and improve the maternal
using self-report manner in the present performance.
study; therefore, there is a probability of 6- CONFLICT OF INTEREST: None.
error rate in the results.
7- ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
4-1. Limitation of study This study was part of a M.Sc. thesis
This study only determined predictors of (Project ID: IR.BPUMS.REC.1395.18)
intention to exclusive breast feeding and supported by the Bushehr University of
exclusive breast feeding behavior so there Medical Sciences. Hereby, authors
is need educational intervention to increase appreciate the research vice chancellor,
exclusive breast feeding in primipara healthcare center staffs, and mothers who
women. participated in this study.
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