Perceptions on the Reasons Influencing the Choice and Abandonment of Exclusive Breastfeeding in Muslim and Christian Women: A Phenomenological Study

TL;DR

This study explores why Muslim and Christian women choose or stop exclusive breastfeeding, highlighting the role of religion, culture, and support.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into how religious beliefs and cultural factors influence exclusive breastfeeding decisions in Muslim and Christian women.

Findings

Religious beliefs and cultural norms significantly influence breastfeeding practices.

Delivery type and the level of support received impact whether mothers continue exclusive breastfeeding.

Knowledge about breastfeeding varies and affects mothers' decisions.

Abstract

Exclusive breastfeeding is the best form of nutrition due to its benefits for the infant, the mother, society, and the environment. Despite its promotion, there are still barriers to making it a reality. To understand the reasons influencing the choice and abandonment of exclusive breastfeeding in women of Christian and Muslim religious beliefs. Descriptive phenomenological qualitative study. Two groups of women, one Muslim and one Christian. Four focus groups and in‐depth interviews were conducted, recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using ATLAS.ti 9.0. An inductive analysis was carried out according to Moustakas' model. All participants signed the corresponding informed consent form. This study adhered to the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research. Four themes were identified: (1) sociodemographic characteristics related to breastfeeding, (2) religious belief and cultural influence on breastfeeding type, (3) type of delivery and breastfeeding type, and (4) knowledge about breastfeeding and support received. The variety of existing reasons may vary according to the mothers' religious beliefs, requiring nursing interventions to be adapted to the characteristics of the women and families they serve.

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