| Breastfeeding provides the ideal nutrition for the human infant. The benefits of breastfeeding are significant for the infant, mother, and society; however breastfeeding rates are low among mothers in the United States. Limited research exists on health behaviors during pregnancy and breastfeeding. To address that gap, this quantitative cross-sectional study investigated the influence of positive maternal health behaviors, including a healthy diet, adequate physical activity, avoidance of cigarette smoking, and no alcohol consumption, on breastfeeding outcomes (breastfeeding initiation, any breastfeeding at 4 weeks postpartum, and any breastfeeding at 8 weeks postpartum). The theory of planned behavior provided the theoretical framework. The research questions were used to examine the influence of individual and combined positive maternal health behaviors on breastfeeding outcomes. Data were drawn from the 2009 to 2010 Ohio Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (n = 2,594). Logistic regression results revealed that the individual positive maternal health behaviors of a healthy diet and avoidance of cigarette smoking were positively associated with breastfeeding initiation as well as continued breastfeeding 4 and 8 weeks postpartum; these associations remained significant in multivariate models. A better understanding of breastfeeding determinants will create positive social change by allowing health care practitioners to better target information about the benefits of breastfeeding to women who would be less likely to breastfeed, resulting in more infants benefiting from the high health value of breast milk. |
