Perceptions on the Reasons Influencing the Choice andAbandonment of Exclusive Breastfeeding in Muslim andChristian Women: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

Exclusive breastfeeding is the best form of nutrition due to its benefits for the infant, the mother, society, and the environment.Despite its promotion, there are still barriers to making it a reality. To understand the reasons influencing the choice and aban-donment of exclusive breastfeeding in women of Christian and Muslim religious beliefs. Descriptive phenomenological qualita-tive study. Two groups of women, one Muslim and one Christian. Four focus groups and in-depth interviews were conducted,recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using ATLAS.ti 9.0. An inductive analysis was carried out according to Moustakas' model.All participants signed the corresponding informed consent form. This study adhered to the consolidated criteria for reportingqualitative research. Four themes were identified: (1) sociodemographic characteristics related to breastfeeding, (2) religious be-lief and cultural influence on breastfeeding type, (3) type of delivery and breastfeeding type, and (4) knowledge about breastfeed-ing and support received. The variety of existing reasons may vary according to the mothers' religious beliefs, requiring nursinginterventions to be adapted to the characteristics of the women and families they serve.