Factors influencing breastfeeding continuation and formula feeding beyond six months in rural and urban households in Indonesia: a qualitative investigation

BACKGROUND: Global and Indonesian guidelines suggest that breastfeeding should continue for at least the first two years of life. While many studies have focused on six-month exclusive breastfeeding practices, little is known about why mothers do not sustain breastfeeding beyond this period. This qualitative study aimed to explore factors influencing breastfeeding continuation and formula feeding beyond six months, regardless of any additional food consumed, focusing on Indonesia’s rural and urban areas. METHODS: We collected the data through 46 in-depth interviews in Pati District and Surakarta City, Central Java, Indonesia. Participants were mothers, grandmothers, health care practitioners, and village kader (frontline female health workers). We used thematic analysis combining deductive and inductive techniques for analysing the data. RESULTS: Rural mothers practised breastfeeding and intended to breastfeed for a longer duration than urban mothers. Maternal attitude towards breastfeeding, breastfeeding knowledge, previous experiences, and other breastfeeding strategies (e.g., enhancing maternal dietary quality) positively influenced breastfeeding sustainability. In the urban setting, mothers encountered several breastfeeding barriers, such as perceived breast milk insufficiency and child hunger and satiety, child biting, and breastfeeding refusal, causing them to provide formula milk as a breast milk substitute or supplement. In addition, families, communities, health practitioners, and employment influenced maternal decisions in breastfeeding continuation and formula-feeding practices. CONCLUSIONS: Optimal breastfeeding practices up to two years of age are determined by the individual and setting (i.e., community, healthcare, employment) factors. Providing breastfeeding education covering practical breastfeeding guidance will encourage mothers to breastfeed for longer. Such interventions should involve families, communities, health workers, and the work environment as a breastfeeding support system. Policymakers should develop, enforce, and monitor the implementation of breastfeeding policies to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding in households, communities, health systems, and work settings.