A Study on Exclusive Breastfeeding Practices and Influencing Factors Among Mothers of Six-Month-Old Infants in Chongqing, China：A mixed-methods study

China's exclusive breastfeeding rate stands at merely 29.2%. Chongqing, situated in southwestern China, lacks citywide data on exclusive breastfeeding rates. Consequently, a mixed cross-sectional study was conducted with 510 mothers who gave birth at a tertiary hospital in Chongqing. Quantitative data were analysed using logistic regression, while qualitative data were synthesised into themes via Colaizzi's seven-step analysis method. The final six-month exclusive breastfeeding rate in Chongqing was 38.92%. Influencing factors included exclusive breastfeeding within the first 24 hours, per capita monthly household income, postpartum breast condition, and primary caregiver during pregnancy and postpartum. Qualitative findings revealed: - Multiple drivers of feeding decisions (breastfeeding physiological readiness, personal cognitive needs, infant receptiveness) - Practical challenges in implementation (workplace transition difficulties, frequent physical discomfort, low infant cooperation) - Imbalance between supply and demand in support systems (differentiated family support, inadequate healthcare support, insufficient social support, misinformation) and the dual influence of the conceptual environment (residual traditional beliefs, dominance of scientific understanding, weak environmental constraints). Mixed-method research indicates that "exclusive breastfeeding within the first 24 hours" and "postpartum breast condition" exhibit expansive characteristics, while "monthly household income per capita" and "primary caregiver during pregnancy and postpartum" demonstrate supplementary characteristics.