A rapid assessment of breastfeeding status using current status data.

Abstract

Probit analysis of current status epidemiological data was used to estimate breastfeeding rates using 3428 mother-baby pairs from randomly selected facilities in the city of Ibadan, Nigeria. The children whose ages range from 1 to 548 days were distributed over 13 age groups. The observed proportions of breastfeeding children (exclusive and ever-breastfed) in each group were transformed into probits, and a weighted linear regression of probits (y) on ages (x) was calculated using the maximum likelihood Iterative procedure. Prevalence rate for exclusive breastfeeding for Ibadan was 39.6 percent and over 99 percent of the children were ever-breastfed. Median duration of exclusive breastfeeding was 61 days, when half of the exclusively breast fed in the study population would have discontinued exclusive breastfeeding. Mean duration was 64.8 ±44. 4 days. Nationwide efforts to promote exclusive breastfeeding started in 1992, but there remains a lot more that can be done to promote, support and protect the practice of exclusive breastfeeding in this community. Using this simple procedure, current status data, easily obtained from mothers can be used to rapidly assess breastfeeding practices in the community. This will go along way towards improving documentation of rates, thereby making planning easier.