Prevalence of 2-Year Breastfeeding among Thai Mothers and Associated Factors of Achievement

OBJECTIVE: To assess 2-year breastfeeding (BF) rate and factors for the achievement of 2-year BF.METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted between June 27 and December 11, 2023 by an electronic online questionnaire. Thai mothers with babies aged more than 2 years who registered on Facebook page of one author and could recall their infant’s 2-year feeding pattern were included in the study. Participating mothers completed a questionnaire covering personal data, history of BF pattern of previous and current child, and knowledge and attitude toward BF. The rate of 2-year BF and factors for the achievement were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analyses.RESULTS: The included mothers had a mean age of 36.2 ± 4.7 years, and 94.1% reported BF for at least 2 years. Among favorable features, only four exhibited a significant association with 2-year BF according to the univariate analysis: age > 36 years (odds ratio (OR) 3.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.90-4.95, p-value < 0.001), being self-employed or working from home (OR: 2.60, 95% CI 1.64-4.10, p-value < 0.001), used contraception within 2 years postpartum (OR: 2.07, 95% CI 1.08-3.97, p-value = 0.025), and good history of 2-year BF in their previous child (OR: 4.71, 95% CI 1.96-11.28, p-value < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that only the mothers with a history of 2-year BF in their previous child was the only independent feature associated with their current 2-year BF (adjusted OR: 5.25, 95% CI 1.61-17.07, p-value = 0.006).CONCLUSION: The results of this study revealed a high rate of 2-year BF among the studied mothers. The only independent factor for a 2-year BF was a mother’s history of 2-year BF with their previous child.