OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of breastfeeding and risk factors associated with weaning among military women in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Southeast Brazil. METHODS: A cross-sectional study with a convenience sample including 100 military mothers with children aged up to 24 months. Data were collected on the frequency of breastfeeding, socioeconomic profile, military career, health care, and maternal and child habits. The logistic regression analysis was performed to verify the association between discontinuation of breastfeeding and study variables. Mann-Whitney and t tests were used to verify the time of exclusive and maternal breastfeeding. RESULTS: Breastfeeding occurred in 94% of cases, with a median duration of 7.2 months. There was no significant difference on breastfeeding among mothers according to military rank, educational level, and operational activities. Multivariate analysis showed a positive association between weaning and the following variables: mother's marital status (married), information on the importance of breastfeeding during prenatal care and use of non-human milk. The variable that was positively related with the longer duration of exclusive breastfeeding was the presence of two previous children. CONCLUSIONS: The operational activity did not affect the prevalence of breastfeeding among military mothers. During prenatal care, planning action aiming to improve the information about breastfeeding can improve its prevalence and length in this population.
breastfeeding; weaning; risk factors; military personnel
