SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS RELATED TO KNOWING THE BENEFITS OF BREASTFEEDING

OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics of women according to the reported number of benefits of breastfeeding and to verify its association with the duration of this practice until the sixth month of the child’s life. METHODS: This was a qualitative and prospective observational study performed with postpartum mothers in two stages (n=78, and after six months n=62). Generalized linear models were used to identify the profile of the mothers as well as to determine the factors associated with the duration of breastfeeding until the sixth month of the child’s life. RESULTS: The profile of women who reported fewer benefits (≤3) was: younger age (p=0.008), with lower schooling (p<0.001), single (p=0.02), unemployed (p=0.04) and who attended prenatal care at the public health service (p=0.01). The analysis of the interaction of these factors indicated that women who had only completed elementary school and who attended prenatal care at the public health service (p<0.001) or privately (p=0.01) reported fewer benefits. Factors such as: level of education, marital status, previous education/training about breastfeeding, place of prenatal care and the reported number of benefits were not associated with the duration of breastfeeding until the sixth month of the child’s life. CONCLUSIONS: The lowest number of breastfeeding benefits was reported by women with elementary education and who undewent prenatal care in the public health system or privately. The number of reported benefits was not associated with the duration of this practice until the age of sixth months of the child.