The Practice of Exclusive Breastfeeding and Its Sociodemographic Determinants amongst Nursing Mothers at a Tertiary Health Care Institution in South East, Nigeria
Background:Breastfeeding is a natural and critical act that
provides nutrients and energy for the infant and young child; and through a
public health intervention such as exclusive breastfeeding, it improves the
survival rates of the infant. Objective: To determine the breastfeeding
practices and the sociodemographic determinants of exclusive breastfeeding
amongst nursing mothers present at the Imo state university teaching hospital
Orlu. Methods:A cross
sectional analytical study design was used that included all nursing mothers
present within a 4 week study period. Data was collected using a structured
questionnaire. Descriptive analyses were done with frequencies and summary
statistics. Chi square statistics were computed to determine significant
associations and binary logistic regression was used to determine
sociodemographic predictors of exclusive breastfeeding practice. P value was
set at 0.05 significant level. Results: While most of the respondents
were aware of exclusive breastfeeding (92.5%), only 24% of the respondents were
practicing exclusive breastfeeding. Work and school activities, and the feeling
that breast milk was insufficient for the needs of the baby were the reasons
for not practicing exclusive breastfeeding for a majority of the respondents
(56.6%). Furthermore, 61% of those that were practicing non-exclusive breast
feeding gave a cereal or infant formula in addition to the breast milk for 3 to
6 months. It was further revealed that there were statistically significant
relationships between breastfeeding practice and maternal age (p=0.003),
level of maternal education (p=0.005)
and maternal occupation (p=0.006). Conclusion: Understanding and taking into cognizance the
sociodemographic characteristics will enable the design, and adequate delivery
of appropriate and effective strategies that improve exclusive breastfeeding
practice.
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