Percepciones sociales, económicas y culturales frente a la lactancia materna en el Centro de Salud Carlos Elizalde y el Hospital Homero Castanier Crespo, marzo – septiembre del 2022

Abstract

Background: Breast milk is a complete food that provides all the necessary nutrients and contributes to the optimal development of the newborn. There are several factors that affect the practice of breastfeeding, which vary depending on maternal factors. General objective: To analyze the social, economic, and cultural perceptions regarding the practice of breastfeeding of the population of rural areas of Azogues that attend to Homero Castanier Crespo Hospital and urban of Cuenca that attend to Carlos Elizalde Health Center. Methodology: Qualitative study with ethnographic design. The sample size was 20 mothers and 2 key informants. Individual interviews with semi- structured questionnaires were applied, they were recorded and transcribed into Word. The analysis was carried out with the Atlas Ti program and also manually. Results: In the social perceptions, the incidence is the family environment through emotional support. In the economic field, they perceive breastfeeding as a benefit for the family economy regardless of the area of residence. In cultural perceptions, customs and beliefs directly affect the practice of breastfeeding, mainly in the rural areas. Conclusions: The social, economic, and cultural perceptions have a direct influence on the practice of breastfeeding. A comparison was made in each dimension depending on the area of residence of the population, verifying that these factors define the presence or not of strengths and difficulties during the process