Health literacy and its relation to continuing with breastfeeding at six months post‐partum in a sample of Spanish women
María Jesús Valero‐Chillerón, Víctor M. González‐Chordá, Águeda Cervera‐Gasch, Rafael Vila‐Candel, Francisco Javier Soriano‐Vidal, Desirée Mena‐Tudela
Abstract
AIM: To explore the relation between health literacy (HL) and continuing breastfeeding (BF) at 6 months post-partum. DESIGN: Observational, longitudinal and prospective study between December 2018-May 2019. The STROBE checklist was used. METHODS: 114 mother/baby pairings from a Spanish Hospital were included. Mothers' health literacy was studied with the Newest Vital Sign and Short Assessment of Health Literacy for Spanish Adults 50 (SAHLSA-50). Before hospital discharge, BF efficiency was studied using the LATCH BF score and BF continuity was followed for 6 months. Survival analysis and Cox regression were done. RESULTS: Health literacy levels and BF effectiveness were adequate before hospital discharge. At 6 months post-partum, less than half the sample still exclusively breastfed. The main reason for early exclusive BF cessation was lower than the recommended newborn weight gain. The HL level acted as a protective factor against abandonment of BF.