The Relationship between Husband’s Involvement and Exclusive Breastfeeding Practice among Mothers Attending a Community Health Center

Abstract

Exclusive breastfeeding remains a major public health concern because its coverage has not yet reached national and global targets, despite the relatively high level of maternal knowledge regarding breastfeeding. Husband’s involvement has been recognized as an important source of social support that may be associated with successful exclusive breastfeeding practice. This study aimed to examine the relationship between husband’s involvement and exclusive breastfeeding practice among mothers attending a community health center in Tangerang City. This study was a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data collected in 2024 from mothers attending a community health center in Tangerang City. The population consisted of 120 eligible mothers, and a minimum sample size of 93 participants was determined using the Slovin formula. Husband’s involvement was categorized as involved or less involved based on the support provided during the breastfeeding period. Exclusive breastfeeding practice was defined as providing only breast milk during the first six months of life. The association between both variables was assessed using the Chi-square test. The findings showed that 52.7% of mothers did not practice exclusive breastfeeding and 54.8% reported low husband’s involvement. Mothers whose husbands were involved were more likely to practice exclusive breastfeeding than those whose husbands were less involved.  Statistical analysis demonstrated that husband’s involvement was significantly associated with exclusive breastfeeding practice among mothers (p < 0.001; OR = 13.333; 95% CI: 4.933–36.035). These findings highlight the importance of family-centered breastfeeding promotion programs that actively engage husbands in supporting breastfeeding mothers and should be interpreted as an association rather than a causal relationship.