The Relationship of Knowledge and Breastfeeding Practice to Maternal BMI

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to investigate the effect of breastfeeding on maternal BMI and evaluate mothers’ knowledge of infant feeding in Samsun, Turkey. A total of 289 mothers who had children ranging from 0 to 2 years of age and applied to the Family Health Centers were included in the study. The mothers filled out a questionnaire covering sociodemographic characteristics and knowledge on infant feeding. The data was evaluated using the SPSS with the descriptive statistics, the Student t-test, the chi-square test, and multiple linear regression analyses. Most of the mothers, who did never breastfeed their children, were either overweight or obese. As a result of the multiple linear regression analysis, we concluded that maternal age, number of pregnancies, time of first breastfeeding ≥ 12 hours, and early introduction of complementary foods positively affect maternal BMI. Increased maternal BMI is thought to be negatively correlated with decreased breastfeeding of babies immediately after birth.

KEYWORDS:

• Body mass index
• breastfeeding
• infant nutrition
• maternal knowledge

Acknowledgments

We extend our thanks to all mothers that participated in the study with babies on their laps. We also thank the intern students at the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics for their contribution to the study.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.