PRACTICE OF EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING AMONG NURSING MOTHERS ATTENDING ADEOYO STATE HOSPITAL, YEMETU, IBADAN

Abstract

Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) has been recommended all over the world as the optimal feeding mode for young infants as a survival strategy in reducing infant mortality rate. However, poor level of practice of EBF among nursing mothers still remains a public health problem. The study was conducted to assess the current level of knowledge and practice of nursing mothers on EBF in Adeoyo Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. The study was cross-sectional in design. A. simple random sampling method was employed to select 400 nursing mothers who had infants aged between 0-4 months old attending Adeoyo Stale Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State. A pre-tested structured, administered questionnaire was used to collect information on socio-demographic characteristics, pregnancy and delivery history, immunization history, knowledge of EBF, infant feeding practices and attitude from the respondents. An 11 item knowledge scale and the 25 item practice scale with correct answer assigned 2 marks each was employed. Also a 10 item attitude scale with correct answer assigned 3 point was also used. Overall knowledge and practice score were categorized into good (scores > 14 and 40 for knowledge and practice, respectively), and poor (scores < 14 and 40 for knowledge and practice, respectively).Also attitude scores were categorized into positive (scores > 20) and negative (score < 20). Data were analyze using descriptive statistics, chi - square, and logistic regression at 5%.level of significance. The age of the respondents was 30.2±4.3years. Knowledge practice and attitude scores were 11.58 ± 1.66, 48.13 ± 3.14, and 12.58 ± 2.32 respectively. Slightly above half of the respondents (53.2%) were between 30 -39 years old and 95.8% were Yoruba. Majority (95.5%) were married while 41.0% had secondary education. About 55% of the respondents had at least 2 children, while 28.8% had birth interval of ≤23 months between index child and the immediate senior. About 34% had poor knowledge of EBF, 26fw.6% had poor EBF practice and 51% had negative attitude towards EBF. Many (94.3%) mothers commenced breast feeding from birth. Proportion with poor practice was significantly higher among the respondents who were married (92.8%}, Muslims, {57.5%) and had younger index child (88.5%). Mothers who had children that were <30 days old were likely to have good practice than mothers with children that were > 120 days old (OR=5.43; 95% CI=1.21 - 24.47). Mothers who were from monogamous marriage were less likely to have good practice of EBF than mothers in polygamous marriage (OR= 0.58:95% Cl=0.36 -0.93). Knowledge and practice of exclusive breast feeding among nursing mothers attending adeoyo hospital lbadan were still poor. Practice of EBF was generally poor among married women with younger children attending Adeoyo hospital. There is the need to focus more on health talk on EBF and encourage mothers to have positive attitude towards EBF.