Level of Anxiety and Knowledge About Breastfeeding in First-Time Mothers with Children Under Six Months

The World Health Organization notes that one in five women of reproductive age faces episodes of anxiety. In Latin America, more than 50% of women experience postnatal anxiety, and in Peru, in Huánuco, 40% of first-time mothers have moderate anxiety. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between the level of anxiety and knowledge about breastfeeding in first-time mothers with children under six months of age. The study has a correlational quantitative approach, in which STAI questionnaires and the Breastfeeding Knowledge Instrument were applied to a total of 166 mothers, using SPSS and the multinomial logistic regression model. The results indicate that 57.23% of the mothers are young, 53.01% have completed secondary school, 22.89% study, and 63.25% had a normal delivery, with 41.57% experiencing complications. In addition, 56.16% of the children were between 4 and 5 months old. Also, 24.10% of mothers with moderate state anxiety and medium knowledge about breastfeeding and 22.29% with moderate trait anxiety. It was found that complications during childbirth (p=0.026, OR=1.025753) and the mother's occupation (p=0.013, OR=1.149548) are significantly related to anxiety. It is concluded that, although anxiety does not directly affect knowledge about breastfeeding, it is crucial to offer specific psychological and educational support for new mothers, particularly addressing sociodemographic factors.

@article{Cruz2025,
  title     = {Level of Anxiety and Knowledge About Breastfeeding in First-Time Mothers with Children Under Six Months},
  journal   = {International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications},
  volume    = {16},
  number    = {4},
  year      = {2025},
  publisher = {The Science and Information Organization},
  author    = {Frank Valverde-De La Cruz and Maria Valverde-Ccerhuayo and Ana Huamani-Huaracca and Gina León-Untiveros and Sebastián Ramos-Cosi and Alicia Alva-Mantari},
  doi       = {10.14569/IJACSA.2025.0160404},
  url       = {https://doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2025.0160404}
}