Factors influencing breastfeeding practices among mothers attending health facilities in Bushenyi district- Western Uganda

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Date
2018
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kampala International University, School of Health Sciences
Abstract
Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended as the best feeding approach for new born infants due to its enormous benefits to the mother and child. The World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) recommendation for optimal infant feeding are exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months after which complementary foods should be introduced with continuation of breastfeeding until two years or beyond. This study assessed the prevalence of breastfeeding practices, maternal and child factors influencing exclusive breastfeeding among lactating mothers attending Bushenyi district health facilities in Western Uganda. The study population was drawn from lactating mothers attending health facilities in Bushenyi district. A descriptive cross-sectional study design which employed both quantitative and qualitative methods in data collection was used for this study. Simple random sampling technique was used to sample the health facilities and respondents (lactating mothers) at each facility. 201 lactating mothers of children of age 0- 24 months participated in this study. Data from the survey was statistically analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) (version 12.0). The study showed that initiation of breastfeeding after birth was done within the first hour of birth by most of the mothers 126 (62.7%), and the prevalence of EBF was 34.3%. The mothers who rated their milk production for the child as average (AOR=2.35), mothers whose meal frequency during the first six months was three(AOR=1.12), mothers who rated their appetite during the first six months(OAR=2.11), mothers who had a History of EBF with their other children, mothers who denied that attention of the other child/children affected the present child breastfeeding, mothers who delivered in a health facility(AOR=3.35) and more had the higher likelihood of practicing EBF. Child’s gender, birth weight and appetite significantly influenced the exclusive breastfeeding practices of lactating mothers in Bushenyi District. The rate of exclusive breastfeeding among lactating mothers in Bushenyi district is low. Hence breastfeeding counseling during antenatal care should be centered on solving problems associated with breastfeeding
Description
A research report submitted to the Faculty of Clinical Medicine and Dentistry in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of a degree of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery of Kampala International University
Keywords
Breastfeeding, Health facilities, Bushenyi district- Western Uganda
Citation