Factors affecting breastfeeding duration in Greece: What is important?

Aim: To investigate factors associated with breastfeeding duration (BD) in a sample of mothers living in Greece.

Methods: Four hundred and twenty-eight mothers (438 infants) were initially recruited in a tertiary University Hospital. Monthly telephone interviews (1665 in total) using a structured questionnaire (one for each infant) were conducted until the sixth postpartum month. Cox regression analysis was used to assess factors influencing any BD.

Results: Any breastfeeding rates in the first, third, and sixth month of the infant's life reached 87.5%, 57.0% and 38.75%, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, maternal smoking in the lactation period [hazard-ratio (HR) = 4.20] and psychological status (HR = 1.72), and the introduction of a pacifier (HR = 2.08), were inversely associated, while higher maternal education (HRuniversity/college vs primary/high school = 0.53, HRmaster's vs primary/high school = 0.20), and being an immigrant (HR = 0.35) were positively associated with BD.

Conclusion: Public health interventions should focus on campaigns against smoking during lactation, target women of lower educational status, and endorse the delayed introduction of pacifiers.