Comparison of the feeding habits of breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding mothers and the sociodemographic factors influencing breastfeeding

Introduction: Breastfeeding is the most ideal form of infant feeding, the biological norm that affects the mother's nutrition as well as certain sociodemographic factors.Objective: The aim of this research is to compare the nutritional habits of breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding mothers during the postpartum period, and to further examine the correlations of sociodemographic factors with breast milk feeding.Method: Our quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted between 26. 03. 2021 and 18. 07. 2021. During the non-random, targeted, expert sample selection, the target group included those biological mothers who raised at least one child born alive after the 37th gestational week in their own care. Exclusion criteria included adoption, pregnancy with the first child, inadequate completion of the mandatory questions, and reports of a congenital and/ or acquired physical or mental illness that makes breastfeeding impossible. 2008 people met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The survey was carried out anonymously via a self-filled questionnaire online. The statistical analysis was performed using the IBM SPSS 25 program, the significance level was determined at p<0.05.Results: There was a significant difference between the group of breastfeeding mothers and non-breastfeeding mothers in terms of age (p<0.001), place of residence (p<0.001), marital status (p<0.001), education (p<0.001), income status (p<0.001), the number of children (p = 0.005), the method of delivery (p = 0.018), how many children completed the questionnaire (p = 0.021). Varied nutrition was characteristic in a significantly higher proportion during the postpartum period among breastfeeding mothers (p = 0.006). There was a relationship between the two groups in terms of energy intake (p = 0.002) and daily vitamin/mineral/trace element intake (p = 0.044).Conclusion: During the period of childbirth, breastfeeding mothers pay more attention to their nutrition than nonbreastfeeding mothers. Breastfeeding can be significantly influenced by certain sociodemographic factors.