Factors Associated with Breastfeeding Practices among Mothers in Primary Health Care Sitting: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Appropriate infant and young child feeding practices are essential for optimal growth, cognitive development, and overall well-being in early vulnerable years of life. Malnutrition contributes to the majority of under-five mortality worldwide annually and over two-thirds of these are due to inappropriate feeding practices. This study aimed at determining the breastfeeding practice among mothers in primary health care sitting, examining the effect of some demographics and socio-economic factors on breastfeeding duration and at identifying the most important reasons that led mothers to stop breastfeeding and wean their children before two years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2016. Participants was mothers having children less than five years of age attending the well baby clinic for immunizations, growth monitoring, treatment of minor illnesses, health check-ups, follow-up, and so forth were interviewed after taking an informed consent. The study relied on primary data collected through structured questionnaire designed to cover all research objectives. Descriptive as well as inferential statistics techniques were utilized. The statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: From the total of 294 mother-infant pairs, 166 were included in the analysis. The results revealed that the majority of the mothers 107 (64.5%) breast natural breastfeeding for full four months. Also, 90 (54.2%) of them initiated breastfeeding after one hour from delivery. It was clear that the main reason led the mothers to wean their infants was mother work 80 (48.2%). Further the results suggested a significant association between breastfeeding duration and some variables such as age of the mother, mother occupation and pregnancy are all. CONCLUSION: The present work indicates that mothers' practices related to breastfeeding in the Primary Health Care clinics for the Security Forces are still not to optimum, efforts should be made to change breastfeeding behaviors not in line with recommendations and reinforce that in accordance with the recommendations. The study recommended encouraging breastfeeding and educating mothers and especially worker women.