title: Breast-feeding intention, initiation and duration among Hong Kong Chinese women: a prospective longitudinal study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to (1) estimate the breast-feeding intention, initiation and duration rate; (2) identify the reasons to initiate and wean breast feeding and (3) explore predictors of breast-feeding duration.
  
  
  METHODS
  a prospective longitudinal study
  
  
  METHODS
  antenatal clinics of five regional hospitals from four clusters in Hong Kong
  
  
  METHODS
  a population-based sample of 2098 women in the second trimester of pregnancy was recruited with a systematic sampling method.
  
  
  METHODS
  three different sets of self-administered questionnaires were used to measure the breast-feeding intention, initiation and duration, demographic, socio-economic, obstetric, complications of pregnancy and intrapartum variables at three time points. Reasons for initiating and weaning breast feeding, the formal and informal supportive resources of participants during breast feeding were collated at the third time points.
  
  
  RESULTS
  the rates of artificial feeding and breast feeding were 41.1% and 58.9%, whereas breast-feeding intention and initiation rates were 85.3% and 67.0%, respectively. The breast-feeding duration rates were 11.1%, 10.3%, 10.7% and 26.7%, for the 'within <1 week', '1-3 weeks', '>3-6 weeks' and '>6 weeks' groups. The common reasons for initiating breast feeding were that breast feeding is beneficial for both the baby (89.8%) and mother (39.7%). Reasons for weaning breast feeding were insufficient breast milk (32.7%), tiredness and fatigue (39.7%) and return to work (29.6%). Partner, relatives and nurse midwives were important supportive resource during breast feeding. Ordinal logistic regression analysis identified five predictive factors of breast-feeding duration. Participants who were working part-time or were housewives (p=0.037), had monthly family income of <HK$10,000 (p=0.034), more than one child (p=0.001), positive breast-feeding intention (p=0.001) and early breast feeding within the first hour (p<0.0001) were more likely to have longer breast feeding than their counterparts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  mothers in Hong Kong do not meet the recommendation of the international standards for breast feeding. Understanding of reasons for initiation, weaning and predictors of breast-feeding duration can help nurse midwives to develop and customise effective strategies to promote and encourage breast feeding.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the findings are important for a process-oriented breast-feeding training programme for nurse midwives. New strategies should be implemented for prolonging breast-feeding duration among perinatal women.
authors: Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Level 2, Clinical Research Centre, Block MD 11,10 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597, Singapore.
authors: Wenru
authors: W
authors: Wang
authors: Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Level 2, Clinical Research Centre, Block MD 11,10 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597, Singapore. Electronic address: nurly@nus.edu.sg.
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Lau
authors: Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Level 2, Clinical Research Centre, Block MD 11,10 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597, Singapore.
authors: Aloysius
authors: A
authors: Chow
authors: Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, the University of Macau, Macau Special Administration Region (SAR), China.
authors: Kin Sin
authors: KS
authors: Chan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008880:Midwifery; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012040:Regional Health Planning; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Breast feeding; Duration; Initiation; Intention