School-Based Support for Breastfeeding Adolescent Mothers: A Case of Selected Schools in Chongwe District, Zambia

Abstract

Adolescent mothers often face difficulties continuing their education because of the competing demands of schooling, breastfeeding, and childcare. Although Zambia’s re-entry policy enables adolescent mothers to return to school after childbirth, limited counselling, flexible learning arrangements, breastfeeding-friendly facilities, and other structured support mechanisms may hinder their continued participation in education, particularly in resource-constrained school settings. The study investigated school-based support for breastfeeding adolescent mothers in selected schools of Chongwe District, with emphasis on existing support mechanisms, challenges in balancing educational demands and childcare responsibilities, and strategies for strengthening support. A descriptive survey design using a mixed-methods approach was adopted. The study involved 70 participants, comprising 30 teachers, 10 school administrators, and 30 breastfeeding adolescent mothers from five selected secondary schools. Quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences and Microsoft Excel, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. Findings indicated that school-based support was generally inadequate. Counselling services recorded the highest mean score (M = 2.63, SD = 1.21), followed by flexible timetables (M = 2.47, SD = 1.18), whereas peer support groups recorded the lowest mean score (M = 1.87, SD = 0.89). Balancing school and childcare was the most frequently reported challenge (36.7%), and 73% of breastfeeding adolescent mothers reported that childcare responsibilities affected school attendance. Flexible timetabling (33.3%) and increased counselling services (26.7%) were the most preferred strategies for strengthening support. The study concludes overall that more structured school-based support is needed, including counselling, flexible timetables, breastfeeding-friendly spaces, teacher preparation, peer support, and stronger collaboration with parents and guardians.