Background
The 65th World Health Assembly (WHA) in 2012 endorsed a Comprehensive Implementation Plan on Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition. One among the six global targets highlighted in the implementation plan was to increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding under 6 months to at least 50% by 2025.Taiwan has also adopted the principles to promote breastfeeding policies, and to create a friendly and supportive environment for breastfeeding.

 In order to monitor breastfeeding rates, identify factors that affect breastfeeding, and to understand the use of friendly environment and resources, the HPA launched the breastfeeding rate survey in 2008. At the beginning, the survey was conducted annually on mothers of infants aged 6 month; then, the interval of the survey was prolonged. Since 2016, the survey was conducted biennially.

In 2020, the target population of the survey was once changed from mothers of infants aged 6 month to mothers of young children aged 1 to 2 years, thus to collect data for international comparison; then target population of the survey was changed back to those of infants aged 6 month in 2022.

Aim of the Study

The survey was applied to examine the achievements of breastfeeding in Taiwan and compared with the global goal, to understand the policy performance in promoting breastfeeding and mother-infant-friendly environment, and for the review of the initiatives and strategies of infant feeding.

Sampling and Survey Method
We used the birth reporting data of the HPA as the sampling frame. National and city/county representative samples were randomly selected from the live births of the birth reporting database, with exclusion of mothers under 18 years old or spouse unknown. Data were collected with telephone interview questionnaires by trained 
interviewers.

Content of the Survey
The contents of the questionnaire:
1. Personal and family characteristic of the mother
2. Factors associated with breastfeeding
3. Duration of breastfeeding and time of adding complementary foods
4. Use of friendly environment and resources
5. Obstetric variables of the mother
6. Sources of stress during breastfeeding
7. Supports received by mother at the time of before delivery, hospitalization, postpartum, and return to work.
8. Planning and behavioral intentions of breasting

Part of the survey results were included in the Statistics of Health Promotion. (Please visit the website at https://www.hpa.gov.tw/EngPages/List.aspx?nodeid=3850 ).