Abstract

Objectives: This study is planned to evalute the impact of father's socio-demographic characteristics on partner support and breastfeeding success.

Methods: Descriptive and cross-sectional study, 78 fathers who work at private day care home and have 0- 24 monthly babies or fathers who bring to 0-24 monthly babies in this day care home were included in the study between May-November 2017. A questionnaire including 20 questions were filled by voluntereed fathers. In analysis of the data, percentage, arithmetic average, frequency and Chi-Square Test were used.

Results: It was found that the fathers aged 20-30 years, graduated from university, live in urban area, have one child, have higher economic status and have nuclear family were statistically significantly higher rates of getting the pregnancy decision with their wife, go to pregnancy control, participating training programme for father, talking about breastfeeding and benefits with their wife (p<0.05). It was found that the children of fathers who give partner support were breastfed for 6 months and there were statistically significant difference between fathers who gave support for their partners and fathers who did not give any support for their partners (p<0.05).

Conclusion: The study showed that fathers who are between 20-30 years old, graduated from university, live in urban area, have one child, have higher economic status and elementary family supports their partners, looks breatfeeding positive and mothers who are supported by their husbands have higher success on breastfeeding.