Sosiodemographic Factors Associated with Exclusive Breastfeeding on Working Mothers in Hospital

Abstract

The rate of exclusive breastfeeding in developing countries remains low, especially among working mothers. Objective: This research aims to determine sociodemographic factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding among working mothers in Lamongan hospitals. Method: It employed a cross-sectional analytical study design with a sample of working mothers in Lamongan private hospitals who had babies aged 6 to 24 months and met the inclusion criteria of 120 individuals obtained through purposive sampling. The data were collected by a questionnaire with closed ended question and analyzed using univariate and bivariate (chi-square) methods. Results: Sociodemographic factors significantly associated with exclusive breastfeeding included education (p 0.011; OR 4.167; 95% CI: 1.176-14.765) and occupations (p 0.003; OR 3.763; 95% CI 1.513-9.357), while age, parity, and income were not significantly associated. Conclusion: Working mothers in hospitals with a diploma education have a 4.2 times higher chance of exclusive breastfeeding compared to those with a high school or equivalent education, and those working as healthcare professionals have a 3.7 times higher chance of providing exclusive breastfeeding compared to non-healthcare workers. Hospital health promotion units should intensify lactation promotion for pregnant and breastfeeding female employees, especially those at risk of not providing exclusive breastfeeding.