Choi, Young-Hee;Kim, Hae-Sook;Park, Hyoun-Kyoung;Lee, Young-Hee
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The purpose of this study is to identifY the problems and factors which are closely related to the breastfeeding practice in Korea. The subjects are breastfeeding mothers who have participated in the First Healthy Breastfeeding Child Contest. The 50.8% of subjects are resided in Seoul. The 68.3% of subjects are in their twenties and the 50% of them are high school graduates. Also, 81.4% of the subjects have no job. The 50% of subjects consider that the breastfeeding practice is good for the physical development and health of the child. The 73.9% of the subjects believe that the promotion of breastfeeding practice can be achieved through breastfeeding education through mass media. The 50.4% of subjects consider that the appropriate length of breastfeeding and duration is 9 months. Subjects did proper care of their breast and nipples and did proper measures for the breastfeeding practice. The 95.8% of subjects practiced breastfeeding voluntarily and their breastfeeding practice was not inhibited through factors which were given in the questionnaire lists. In conclusion, the practice of breastfeeding is mostly dependent on the efforts and the positive attitude of breastfeeding mothers. Also the friendly breastfeeding environments in terms of social norms and social practice are the most pertinent factors in promotion of breastfeeding practice.