An Assessment of The Breastfeeding Practices and Knowledge Among Mothers in Barangay Camp One, Maramag, Bukidnon
An Assessment of The Breastfeeding Practices and Knowledge Among Mothers in Barangay Camp One, Maramag, Bukidnon
An Assessment of The Breastfeeding Practices and Knowledge Among Mothers in Barangay Camp One, Maramag, Bukidnon
ARTETA, ANDREA C.
COQUILLA, KRISTINE BABE B.
GACO, MARY MONIQUE A.
FEBRUARY 2015
ABSTRACT
breastfeeding and instigate changes in individual behavior. This research was conducted to
assess breastfeeding knowledge among mothers (n=37) in Brangay Camp One, Maramag,
Bukidnon with the objectives: Identify the knowledge of the chosen mothers with regards to
breastfeeding and its benefits, know if health workers and other officials of the barangay are still
cooperative on this kind of activity, identify the factors or beliefs that may affect breastfeeding
practices of the given population, know how frequent a mother breastfeeds her child, and
promote breastfeeding among mothers. The knowledge of the mothers with regards to
breastfeeding is enough. But some of them were not fully aware of the benefits that it can give.
The mothers that were unemployed have more time providing sufficient breast milk for their
children while those mothers who are employed revealed the most common factor associated
from not being a full breast-feeder. The participants agreed that the community health workers
characteristics doesn’t affect the type of feeding. In promoting breastfeeding, mothers were
asked if they would like to attend seminars if given a chance related to breastfeeding and its
benefits. The researchers would like to recommend the increase of number of respondents for a
larger scope and also for the further improvement of the questionnaire. The researchers would
also like to recommend the provision of Cebuano dialect questionnaire so that the respondents
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE Page
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study 1-2
Objectives of the Study 2-3
Significance of the Study 3
Scope and Limitations of the Study 3
Definition of Terms 4
METHODOLOGY
Place and Duration of the Study 11
Data Collection 11
Instrumentation 11
Data Analysis 12
REFERENCES 19
iii
LIST OF APPENDICES
A Questionnaire 21
iv
LIST OF TABLES
v
LIST OF FIGURES
vi
Acknowledgements
The researchers are using this opportunity to express their sincere gratitude and
appreciation to the kind and ever supportive people who helped and encourage them a lot in this
First and foremost, a billion thanks to our savior and great creator, the man who guided
us always in everything that we do especially while conducting this study, the reason for us to
have strength in facing every challenges that we encounter related to our study, our most
gracious loving almighty heavenly Father. Without Him, we would not exist and make all these
To our parents, our wholehearted admiration to them for not leaving us behind, for
supporting and encouraging us all the way, and the ones who motivated us to never stop in
We would also like to extend our appreciation to Ms. Roselynn G. Montecillo for giving
us some key points in choosing our study. With her teachings, we are able to achieve our goals in
With regards in analyzing our data, we would like to thank Mr. Lester Lou B. Segumpan
for helping us how to compute our gathered data with the use of SPSS Software.
To the persons who never gave up in encouraging us, our friends, thank you for giving us
-The Researcher
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INTRODUCTION
Breastfeeding, also called nursing, is the process of feeding human breast milk to an
infant, either directly from the breast or by expressing (pumping out) the milk from the breast
and bottle-feeding it to the infant. Breastfeeding and breast milk provide an infant with essential
Breastfeeding, women who don't have health problems should exclusively breastfeed their
infants for at least first 6 months of life. They suggest that a woman should try to breastfeed her
infant for the first 12 months of life because of the benefits to both mother and the child.
Breastfeeding offers many benefits to a baby. Breast milk contains the right balance of
nutrients to help infants grow into a strong and healthy toddler. Some of the nutrients in breast
milk also help protect the infant against some common childhood illnesses and infections. It may
also help in mother’s health as well. Certain types of cancer may occur less often in mothers who
have breastfed their babies (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development).
relationships: breastfeeding releases certain hormones which promote maternal feelings and
behavior. Strong early relationships and a stable and loving environment are all conducive to
babies’ healthy emotional, social and physical development, through production of the hormone
oxytocin.
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In the Philippines, studies show that only 34% of infants fewer than 6 months are
exclusively breastfed. The UNICEF's 2014 State of the World’s Children report also shows that
only 34% continue breast milk intake until two years old. Most mothers opt to use milk formulas
for various reasons such as alleged inability to produce breast milk and time constraints.
Although an improvement from 2011’s 27%, these findings still put the country among the top
Recent data on child malnutrition in the country can be attributed to the low number of
children breastfed as infants. The 8th National Nutritional Survey of the Food and Nutrition
Research Institute (FNRI) shows that almost 20% of children under 5 years old are considered
malnourished.
Generally, this study aims to determine the knowledge and practices of mothers in Brgy.
1. identify the knowledge of the chosen mothers with regards to breastfeeding and its
benefits;
2. know if health workers and other officials of the barangay are still cooperative on this
kind of activity;
3. identify the factors or beliefs that may affect breastfeeding practices of the given
population;
2
5. promote breastfeeding among mothers.
The benefits of breast milk for babies are numerous. Lower rates of childhood obesity,
decreased incidence of asthma and even better brain development are all linked with drinking
more of mother's milk in infancy, and despite decades of research and promising marketing
claims, the formula industry has not caught up to mother nature in the milk department.
Even if technicians could develop a better food for infants, researchers are now realizing
that skipping the lactation phase would be problematic for mothers' health. In fact, not
breastfeeding after giving birth seems to put women at higher risk for breast and ovarian cancer,
Therefore, this study would be a great help for the mothers who have or will have an
infant. This study would also help them acquire more knowledge about breastfeeding and its
benefits to the family and the community. By that way, they would be aware about this matter
This study was conducted only in Camp One, Maramag, Bukidnon via cross-sectional
study. It was conducted using self-administered questionnaire with the given target amount of
respondents. The chosen respondent has at least one child in the family who is aged 3-5 years old
or younger. Their answers will be based on the occurrence they experienced with the last child.
3
Definition of Terms
hypothalamus and stored and secreted by the posterior pituitary gland. It plays an important role
"Exclusive breastfeeding" is defined as no other food or drink, not even water, except
breast milk (including milk expressed or from a wet nurse) for 6 months of life, but allows the
infant to receive ORS, drops and syrups (vitamins, minerals and medicines).
“Cross-sectional study” is a type of observational study that involves the analysis of data
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REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Breastfeeding
young infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development. It is an integral
part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers. Virtually
all mothers can breastfeed, provided they have accurate information, and the support of their
family, the health care system and society at large. Breastfeeding is promoted internationally as
the preferred method of feeding for infants up to the age of four to six months, with continued
breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond.
Exclusive breastfeeding from birth is possible except for a few medical conditions, and
Human milk, or breast milk, is uniquely engineered for human infants, and is the
biologically ‘natural’ way to feed infants. Breastfeeding, in comparison to feeding breast milk
substitutes such as infant formula, has numerous health benefits (Allen et. al., 2005). These
benefits include protection against acute illnesses, long-term health protection, the psychological
Breast milk is widely acknowledged as the most complete form of nutrition for infants,
with a range of benefits for infants' health, growth, immunity and development (Healthy People,
2010). Breast milk is a unique nutritional source that cannot adequately be replaced by any other
food, including infant formula. Although pollutants can accumulate in breast milk, it remains
5
superior to infant formula from the perspective of the overall health of both mother and child.
Breast milk is a unique combination of nutrients essential to a child's health, and cannot be
birth and continuing throughout a child's life. In fact, a large number of the health problems
today's children face might be decreased, or even prevented, by breastfeeding the infant
exclusively for at least the first six months of life. The longer the mother breastfeeds, the more
likely the child will get the health benefits of breastfeeding (NDRC, 2005). Breastfeeding
result, breastfeeding promotion has an important part in child health programs throughout the
Infants are fragile and are commonly prone to diseases, partly because their bodies are
not fully developed. They must be treated with special care and given adequate nourishment.
Infant formulas are able to mimic a few of the nutritional components of breast milk, but formula
cannot hope to duplicate the vast and constantly changing array of essential nutrients in human
milk. Studies have demonstrated a number of important health benefits to breastfeeding. One of
the benefits that a breast-fed child can get is; more resistant to disease and infection early in life
than formula-fed children. The breast-fed children are less likely to contract a number of diseases
later in life, including juvenile diabetes, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, and cancer before the
age of 15.
In the first six months, the baby should be nourished exclusively by breast milk. The slow
introduction of iron-enriched foods may complement the breastfeeding in the second half of the
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first year. Breast milk without supplements during the first six months reduces the possibility of
Therefore, the child should be nursed without the interference of water, sugar water, juices, or
formulas, unless a specific medical condition indicates otherwise. The American Academy of
Pediatrics asserts that breast milk has the perfect balance of nutrients for the infant. It is by itself
enough sustenance for approximately the first six months of life and should follow as the child's
disease and infection. It shows that breastfeeding strengthens the immune system. During
nursing, the mother passes antibodies to the child, which helps the child resist diseases and help
improve the normal immune response to certain vaccines. Respiratory illness is far more
common among formula-fed children. In fact, an analysis of many different research studies
concluded that infants fed formula face a threefold greater risk of being hospitalized with a
severe respiratory infection than do infants breast-fed for a minimum of four months. Diarrheal
disease is three to four times more likely to occur in infants fed formula than those fed breast
milk. Breastfeeding has been shown to reduce the likelihood of ear infections, and to prevent
recurrent ear infections. Ear infections are a major reason that infants take multiple courses of
antibiotics.
chances for survival. In Brazil, a formula-fed baby is 14 times more likely to die than an
exclusively breast-fed baby. Researchers have also observed a decrease in the probability of
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Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in breast-fed infants. Another apparent benefit from
significantly rarer in breast-fed babies. A review of 132 studies on allergy and breastfeeding
concluded that breastfeeding appears to help protect children from developing allergies, and that
the effect seems to be particularly strong among children whose parents have allergies.
mothers beyond emotional satisfaction. Mothers who breastfeed are said to recover more quick
from childbirth. The hormone oxytocin, released during breastfeeding, acts to return the uterus to
its regular size more quickly and can reduce postpartum bleeding. Studies show that women who
have breastfed experience reduced rates of breast and ovarian cancer later in life. Some studies
have found that breastfeeding may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid
arthritis, and cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Finally,
exclusive breastfeeding delays the return of the mother’s menstrual period, which can help
Studies indicate that breastfeeding helps improve mothers' health, as well as the
children's. A woman's breast milk is designed specifically to nourish the body of an infant, the
production and delivery of this milk aids her own health. Breastfeeding helps a woman to lose
weight after birth. Mothers burn many calories during lactation as their bodies produce milk. In
fact, some of the weight gained during pregnancy serves as an energy source for lactation.
Breastfeeding appears to reduce the mother's risk of developing osteoporosis in later years.
8
Although mothers experience bone-mineral loss during breastfeeding, their mineral density is
replenished and even increased after lactation. Diabetic women also improve their health by
breastfeeding. Not only do nursing infants have increased protection from juvenile diabetes, the
amount of insulin that the mother requires postpartum goes down. Women who lactate for a total
of two or more years reduce their chances of developing breast cancer by 24 percent and any
A woman's ability to produce all of the nutrients that her child needs can provide a sense
of confidence. Researchers have pointed out that the bond of a nursing mother and child is
stronger than any other human contact. Holding the child to the breast provides most mothers
with a more powerful psychological experience than carrying the fetus inside her uterus. The
relationship between mother and child is rooted in the interactions of breastfeeding. This feeling
sets the health and psychological foundation for years to come. The emotional health of the
mother may be enhanced by the relationship that develops with her infant during breastfeeding,
resulting in fewer feelings of anxiety and a stronger sense of connection with her baby (NDRC,
2005).
The benefits of breastfeeding go beyond health considerations. Mothers who nurse their
children enjoy social and economic advantages as well. Women who breastfeed avoid the
financial burden of buying infant formula, an average expense of $800 per year.
Breast-fed babies are less likely to need excessive medical attention as they grow. In one
study, a group of formula-fed infants had $68,000 in health care costs in a six-month period,
while an equal number of nursing babies had only $4,000 of similar expenses. Because the
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diagnosis and treatment of these illnesses result in medical care use, health care expenditures
likely would be reduced with successful breastfeeding promotion. At the same time, improving
the rate of breastfeeding will likely require some capital investment by certain sectors, such as
employers and health insurers. Therefore, economic analyses that accurately estimate the costs
and savings attributable to breastfeeding would be helpful to decision makers as they consider
There are quite a few practical advantages to breastfeeding as well that the whole family
can appreciate. It is the human milk, which is much less expensive than formula. During nursing
a mother will need, at most, an extra 400 to 500 calories daily to produce sufficient milk for the
baby, while formula can cost between $4 and $10 per day, depending upon the brand, type
(powdered versus liquid), and amount consumed. At night, putting the baby to the breast is much
simpler and faster than getting up to prepare or warm a bottle of formula. Breastfeeding is also
good for the environment, since there are no bottles to wash or formula cans to throw away.
As welcome as all of these benefits are, though, most mothers put the feeling of maternal
fulfillment at the top of their list of reasons for breastfeeding. Breastfeeding provides a unique
emotional experience for the nursing mother and the baby. Breastfeeding is the one parenting
behavior that only the mother can do for her baby, creating a unique and powerful physical and
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METHODOLOGY
The survey was conducted at Brgy. Camp One, Maramag, Bukidnon. There was a total
of 37 respondents that will be chosen randomly using simple-random sampling in the specific
location.
Data Collection
The respondents should have given birth to at least one child that aged 5 years or
younger. The participants answered the questions based on their experience with the last child.
The questionnaires were collected right after filling up the questionnaire and were checked if
Instrumentation
A cross-sectional study was conducted along the premises Brgy. Camp One, Maramag,
Bukidnon. The respondents were given a questionnaire based on the study. Besides demographic
and biological data (personal data), the questionnaire includes questions addressing to knowledge
(the average number of breastfeeds the child should receive per day, up to what age the child
should receive only breast milk and later on with supplementary foods), questions addressing
attitude (reasons for adopting breastfeeding, reasons for stopping breastfeeding, intention to
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Data Analysis
All the data were encoded, validated and analyzed using SPSS PC version 14.0 software
12
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Participant Characteristics
The age of the participants ranged between 18 and 45 years, with the mean age of 27.97
years. The average total family income was 8,158 pesos in month. About 75.68% of women are
plain housewives while 24.32% are employed. About 48.65% reached tertiary education, 40.54%
in secondary education and 10.81% belong to those who attained only primary education. Other
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Knowledge
10.81% of the respondents believed that breast milk has the same formulation with infant
formulas while 83.78% of the mother believed otherwise and the remaining 5.41% did not
discerned the difference between the two and remained abstain. The participants’ awareness on
the proper initiation of frequency of breastfeeding that are practiced per day is shown on table 2
Table 2. Ideal initiation time of Breastfeeding that are performed each day
14
100% of the participants were aware that breastfeeding is an essential practice for the
nourishment of their child. However, several factors including their jobs became a hindrance for
94.59% of the participants prefer to breastfeed their child compare to bottle feeding.
94.59% also agreed that it helps to lessen their family expenses. The participants attitude about
Twenty of the respondents believed that the community and health workers are exerting
efforts in encouraging the practice of breastfeeding. Results showed that among the thirty-seven
Moreover, 35 (94.59%) of them are willing to attend such seminars. Only 5.41% reported that it
depends upon several cases. The percentage of the involvement in the community was based and
measured through the questions that were asked about and on how they are involved on the
specific activity.
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Type of feeding by socio-demographic and maternal characteristics (Statistical Analysis)
Of the 37 respondents, 24 (64.86%) were full breast-feeders and 10 (27.03%) were mixed
breast-feeders and 3 (8.11%) practiced Infant-formula feeding for the first six months of
maternal care. The type of feeding was independent of mother’s aged, education, income,
occupation, type of birth and number of children which showed no significant difference atball
Factors p-value
Age 0.043
Income 0.297
Occupation 0.118
Factors that were associated with not being a full breast feeder were entered into logistic
regression model. Employed women were more likely not to practice full breastfeeding
compared with unemployed women. Among 8 employed women, six (75%) are not full breast
feeders and stopped breastfeeding with the average life span of time of 6 months. Martens et. Al,
16
2001, reported employment as the most common factor that affects mothers from being a full
breast feeder. This may be due to the insufficient amount of days they were given for maternal
leave.
17
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The knowledge of the mothers with regards to breastfeeding is enough. But some of them
were not fully aware of the benefits that it can give. The mothers that were unemployed have
more time providing sufficient breast milk for their children while those mothers who are
employed revealed the most common factor associated from not being a full breast-feeder. The
participants agreed that the community health workers encourage them to do breastfeeding
(75.68%). Also, socio- demographic and maternal characteristics doesn’t affect the type of
feeding. In promoting breastfeeding, mothers were asked if they would like to attend seminars if
The researchers would like to recommend the increase of number of respondents for a
larger scope and also for the further improvement of the questionnaire. The researchers would
also like to recommend the provision of Cebuano dialect questionnaire so that the respondents
18
REFERENCES
Scott JA, Binns CW (2000). Breastfeeding Review : Professional Publication of the Nursing
Mothers' Association of Australia Institute for Medical Research, PFK Edinburgh Ltd,
Edinburgh, Scotland.
Jane Allen and Debra Hector (2005).Benefits of breastfeeding. New South Wales Public Health
Bulletin 16(4) 42 - 46
M. Jane Heinig, PhD, IBCLC* (2001).Host Defense Benefits of Breastfeeding for the Infant :
Effect of Breastfeeding Duration and Exclusivity
Thomas M. Ball, MD, MPH, and David M. Bennett, RPH, MSA (2001). The Economic Impact
of Breastfeeding
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APPENDICES
20
AN ASSESSMENT OF THE BREASTFEEDING PRACTICES AND KNOWLEDGE
QUESTIONNAIRE
Personal Data
Name: ______________________________________________________ Date: ___________
Age: ____________ Number of children: _____________
Family income/month: ______________________
Occupation: _____________________________
Type of birth of child: (encircle the letter)
a. Vaginal (Normal) b. Cesarean Section
Educational Attainment: ____________________________________
5. Infant formula has the same formulation with the human breast milk.
a. I Agree b. I Disagree c. I Don’t Know
9. Have you attended Breastfeeding seminars and other related seminars regarding nutrition?
a. Yes b. No
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Republic of the Philippines
CENTRAL MINDANAO UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY LABORATORY HIGH SCHOOL
University Town, Musuan, Maramag, Bukidnon
January , 2015
Dear Respondents,
Greetings!
The undersigned are senior high school students of Central Mindanao University Laboraty High
School and are presently conducting a research study entitled “An Assessment of the
Breastfeeding Practices and Knowledge among Mothers in Barangay Camp One, Maramag,
Bukidnon”. This will serve as our requirement for our subject Science Research.
In regard to this, we would like to ask your help, by answering our survey. Rest assured that all
your responses will be kept confidential.
Thank you very much for your cooperation and God Bless!
Sincerely Yours,
ANDREA C. ARTETA
Noted:
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Republic of the Philippines
CENTRAL MINDANAO UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY LABORATORY HIGH SCHOOL
University Town, Musuan, Maramag, Bukidnon
29 January 2015
Regulo H. Pahalla
Punong Barangay
Brgy. Camp One, Maramag, Bukidnon
Sir:
Greetings!
We are 4th year students of Central Mindanao University Laboratory High School and presently
conducting our study entitled “An Assessment of the Breastfeeding Practices and Knowledge
among Mothers in Barangay Camp One, Maramag, Bukidnon”. This will serve as our
requirement for our subject Science Research.
In connection to this, we would like to request your permission to allow us to conduct our survey
and to access the data needed for our research. Rest assure you that all data and information
obtain will remain confidential at our hands. Hoping for your favourable consideration and
assistance to our endeavour.
Sincerely Yours,
ANDREA C. ARTETA
Noted:
ROSELYNN GRACE MONTECILLO
Science Research Adviser
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APPENDIX D. ANOVA TABLES FOR THE DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS
ANOVA
Age
Mode Sum of Mean
l Squares df Square F Sig.
1 Regressio
186.355 1 186.355 4.398 .043(a)
n
Residual 1483.064 35 42.373
Total 1669.419 36
ANOVA
Mother’s Education
Mode Sum of Mean
l Squares df Square F Sig.
1 Regressio
.410 1 .410 .869 .358(a)
n
Residual 16.509 35 .472
Total 16.919 36
ANOVA
Income
Mode Sum of Mean
l Squares df Square F Sig.
1 Regressio 4980122 49801220.5
1 1.119 .297(a)
n 0.575 75
Residual 1557225 44492165.8
35
806.452 99
Total 1607027
36
027.027
ANOVA
Occupation
Mode Sum of Mean
l Squares Df Square F Sig.
1 Regressio
.428 1 .428 2.564 .118(a)
n
Residual 5.842 35 .167
Total 6.270 36
24
ANOVA
Type of Birth
Mode Sum of Mean
l Squares df Square F Sig.
1 Regressio
.047 1 .047 .381 .541(a)
n
Residual 4.278 35 .122
Total 4.324 36
ANOVA
Number of Children
Mode Sum of Mean
l Squares df Square F Sig.
1 Regressio
2.136 1 2.136 3.708 .062(a)
n
Residual 20.161 35 .576
Total 22.297 36
YES NO
Number of mothers who attended seminars 20(54.50%) 17 (45.95%)
Willingness of participants in attending specified seminars 35(94.59%) 2(5.41%)
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APPENDIX FIGURES
26
Figure1. Respondents Filling in Questionnaires
27
Figure3. Researcher, checking the questionnaires
28