Determining the Factors Affecting the Nutritional Behavior and Nutritional Knowledge Levels of Breastfeeding Women in the Postpartum Period.

Abstract

Background: Postpartum women's nutrition is shaped by social, psychological, and cultural factors, affecting maternal and infant health.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the level of nutritional knowledge of postpartum women living in Türkiye and the factors affecting their nutritional behaviors.

Methods: Women who were in the first 6 months postpartum and breastfeeding in Türkiye were reached through social media. A total of 264 volunteer women were included in the study. Participant introduction form, breastfeeding mother nutrition knowledge level measurement form, identification of factors affecting nutrition form, and informed consent form were applied to the women.

Results: The majority of mothers (60.2%) reported not receiving nutritional information during the puerperium. A significant proportion (45.1%) indicated experiencing pressure from their social environment regarding dietary practices, which negatively affected their mental well-being (69.7%) and led to changes in their dietary habits (30.3%). Sleep disturbances were reported to impact dietary behavior by 67.6% of mothers, primarily causing them to skip main meals (35.4%). Additionally, 44.7% of participants noted that home visits influenced their nutritional practices, often leading to the consumption of puerperal sherbet and calorie-dense foods such as pastries and desserts. Mothers who received education about puerperium nutrition demonstrated significantly higher levels of accurate nutritional knowledge (P = 0.011), highlighting the importance of targeted educational interventions.

Conclusion: While nutrition education programs for mothers are organized by health professionals in the postpartum period, importance should be given to increasing the awareness and consciousness levels of the mother's close circle.