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Maternal Knowledge of Optimal Breastfeeding Practices and Associated Factors in Rural Communities of Arba Minch Zuria

Received: 3 May 2013     Published: 20 May 2013
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Abstract

Breastfeeding is one of the components of Primary Health Care and considered as natural practices in Ethiopia. However, a wide range of harmful infant feeding practices is documented even after implementations of infant and young child feeding guidelines in 2004. Therefore the major objective of this study was to assess maternal knowledge about optimal breastfeeding practices and associated factors in rural communities of Arba Minch Zuria. Methods: A cross sectional community based study was carried out from January to February, 2012 in Arba Minch Zuria. Quantitative data were collected from 383 mothers supplemented with qualitative data from 10 key informants. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.0. Binary logistic regressions were used to see the strength of association between independent and dependent variables using odds ratios and 95% of confidence intervals. Finally a multivariate logistic regression analysis was made to identify the predictors of maternal knowledge about optimal breastfeeding practices. Results: Breastfeeding was considered as a natural gift in Arba Minch Zuria. More than half of mothers (57.2%) initiated breastfeeding within the first hour of delivery and 213 (55.6%) were exclusively breastfed their children for 6 months. Three-hundred forty one (89%) mothers gave colostrum though a small number of mothers considered colostrum as an expired breast milk and discarded it. Maternal knowledge about optimal breastfeeding was positively associated with paternal education level, total number of births, attending antenatal care, having the radio, using family planning and giving birth by health workers. This study also showed there is a positive relationship between maternal knowledge of optimal breastfeeding with exclusive breastfeeding and timely introduction of complementary food. Conclusions: Findings from this study showed that maternal knowledge was directly related with paternal education level, attending antenatal care, having the radio, using family planning and giving birth by health workers. Maternal knowledge had a significant contribution in the promotion of optimal child feeding practices. Promotion of strong community based education and support to ensure optimal infant and young child feeding is recommended for the whole communities with health workers and community leaders to provide counseling and support related to infant and young child feeding practices.

Published in International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences (Volume 2, Issue 3)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijnfs.20130203.15
Page(s) 122-129
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2013. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Optimal, Knowledge, Factors, Arba Minch

References
[1] UNICEF and World Health Organization. 2003. Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding, Geneva, Switzerland
[2] Bernadette et al. 2003. Special Issue Base World Health Organization Expert Consultation on Complementary Feeding. Food and Nutrition Bulletin; 24(1): 3-141.
[3] WHO.2003. Implementing the global strategy for infant and young child feeding. Department of Nutrition for Health and Development. Geneva
[4] Altrena G. et al. 2006. Infant and Young Child Feeding Update, ORC Macro Calverton, Maryland, USA.
[5] Central Statistical Authority [Ethiopia] and ORC Macro. 2005. Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey 2005. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Calverton, Maryland
[6] Gretel H. et al. 2003. Improving feeding practices: Current patterns, common constraints, and the design of interventions. Division of Nutritional Sciences; 24(1): 45-57
[7] WHO. 2001. Report of the global consultation on Summary of guiding principles for complementary feeding of the breastfed child, Geneva Switzerland.
[8] Federal ministry of health. 2005. National strategy for child survival in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa Ethiopia, Family health department publications.
[9] Central Statistical Authority and ORC Macro. 2012. Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey 2011. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Calverton, Maryland
[10] Federal Ministry of Health. 2004. National strategy for infant and young child feeding. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
[11] United Nations. 2008. The Millennium Development Goals. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). New York.
[12] Erik Bohler et al. 2001. Promoting breastfeeding in rural Gambia: combining traditional and modern knowledge. Health policy and planning; 16(2):199-205.
[13] Haider et al. 2010. Breastfeeding in infancy: identifying the program-relevant issues in Bangladesh. International Breastfeeding Journal 5:21.
[14] R Kruger and GJ Gericke. 2002. A qualitative exploration of rural feeding and weaning practices, knowledge and attitudes on nutrition in South Africa. Public Health Nutrition; 6(2):217–223
[15] Tefera Belachew.2003. Human Nutrition for Health Science Students Jimma. Public Health Department.
[16] Kimani-Murage et al. 2011. Patterns and determinants of breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices in urban informal settlements, Nairobi Kenya. BMC Public Health, 11:396.
[17] Shirima, M Gebre-Medhin and T Greiner. 2001. Information and socioeconomic factors associated with early breastfeeding practices in rural and urban Morogoro, Tanzania. Acta Paediatr 90:936-942.
[18] Ijoritimi Oluwole Steve. 2006. Nutritional Status and feeding practices of infants low income Nursing Mothers in Ondo state, Nigeria. International Journal of Tropical Medicine; 1 (3):123-129
[19] USAID FEWS NET ACTIVITY. 2006. Southern Nation, Nationalities and People’s Region, Ethiopia Livelihood Profiles
[20] Chapt T Le. 2003. Introductory Biostatistics. Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, United States of America
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    Dessalegn Tamiru, Shikur Mohammed. (2013). Maternal Knowledge of Optimal Breastfeeding Practices and Associated Factors in Rural Communities of Arba Minch Zuria. International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences, 2(3), 122-129. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnfs.20130203.15

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    ACS Style

    Dessalegn Tamiru; Shikur Mohammed. Maternal Knowledge of Optimal Breastfeeding Practices and Associated Factors in Rural Communities of Arba Minch Zuria. Int. J. Nutr. Food Sci. 2013, 2(3), 122-129. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnfs.20130203.15

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    AMA Style

    Dessalegn Tamiru, Shikur Mohammed. Maternal Knowledge of Optimal Breastfeeding Practices and Associated Factors in Rural Communities of Arba Minch Zuria. Int J Nutr Food Sci. 2013;2(3):122-129. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnfs.20130203.15

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijnfs.20130203.15,
      author = {Dessalegn Tamiru and Shikur Mohammed},
      title = {Maternal Knowledge of Optimal Breastfeeding Practices and Associated Factors in Rural Communities of Arba Minch Zuria},
      journal = {International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences},
      volume = {2},
      number = {3},
      pages = {122-129},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijnfs.20130203.15},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnfs.20130203.15},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijnfs.20130203.15},
      abstract = {Breastfeeding is one of the components of Primary Health Care and considered as natural practices in Ethiopia. However, a wide range of harmful infant feeding practices is documented even after implementations of infant and young child feeding guidelines in 2004. Therefore the major objective of this study was to assess maternal knowledge about optimal breastfeeding practices and associated factors in rural communities of Arba Minch Zuria. Methods: A cross sectional community based study was carried out from January to February, 2012 in Arba Minch Zuria. Quantitative data were collected from 383 mothers supplemented with qualitative data from 10 key informants. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.0. Binary logistic regressions were used to see the strength of association between independent and dependent variables using odds ratios and 95% of confidence intervals. Finally a multivariate logistic regression analysis was made to identify the predictors of maternal knowledge about optimal breastfeeding practices. Results: Breastfeeding was considered as a natural gift in Arba Minch Zuria. More than half of mothers (57.2%) initiated breastfeeding within the first hour of delivery and 213 (55.6%) were exclusively breastfed their children for 6 months. Three-hundred forty one (89%) mothers gave colostrum though a small number of mothers considered colostrum as an expired breast milk and discarded it. Maternal knowledge about optimal breastfeeding was positively associated with paternal education level, total number of births, attending antenatal care, having the radio, using family planning and giving birth by health workers. This study also showed there is a positive relationship between maternal knowledge of optimal breastfeeding with exclusive breastfeeding and timely introduction of complementary food. Conclusions: Findings from this study showed that maternal knowledge was directly related with paternal education level, attending antenatal care, having the radio, using family planning and giving birth by health workers. Maternal knowledge had a significant contribution in the promotion of optimal child feeding practices. Promotion of strong community based education and support to ensure optimal infant and young child feeding is recommended for the whole communities with health workers and community leaders to provide counseling and support related to infant and young child feeding practices.},
     year = {2013}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Maternal Knowledge of Optimal Breastfeeding Practices and Associated Factors in Rural Communities of Arba Minch Zuria
    AU  - Dessalegn Tamiru
    AU  - Shikur Mohammed
    Y1  - 2013/05/20
    PY  - 2013
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnfs.20130203.15
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijnfs.20130203.15
    T2  - International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences
    JF  - International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences
    JO  - International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences
    SP  - 122
    EP  - 129
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2327-2716
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnfs.20130203.15
    AB  - Breastfeeding is one of the components of Primary Health Care and considered as natural practices in Ethiopia. However, a wide range of harmful infant feeding practices is documented even after implementations of infant and young child feeding guidelines in 2004. Therefore the major objective of this study was to assess maternal knowledge about optimal breastfeeding practices and associated factors in rural communities of Arba Minch Zuria. Methods: A cross sectional community based study was carried out from January to February, 2012 in Arba Minch Zuria. Quantitative data were collected from 383 mothers supplemented with qualitative data from 10 key informants. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.0. Binary logistic regressions were used to see the strength of association between independent and dependent variables using odds ratios and 95% of confidence intervals. Finally a multivariate logistic regression analysis was made to identify the predictors of maternal knowledge about optimal breastfeeding practices. Results: Breastfeeding was considered as a natural gift in Arba Minch Zuria. More than half of mothers (57.2%) initiated breastfeeding within the first hour of delivery and 213 (55.6%) were exclusively breastfed their children for 6 months. Three-hundred forty one (89%) mothers gave colostrum though a small number of mothers considered colostrum as an expired breast milk and discarded it. Maternal knowledge about optimal breastfeeding was positively associated with paternal education level, total number of births, attending antenatal care, having the radio, using family planning and giving birth by health workers. This study also showed there is a positive relationship between maternal knowledge of optimal breastfeeding with exclusive breastfeeding and timely introduction of complementary food. Conclusions: Findings from this study showed that maternal knowledge was directly related with paternal education level, attending antenatal care, having the radio, using family planning and giving birth by health workers. Maternal knowledge had a significant contribution in the promotion of optimal child feeding practices. Promotion of strong community based education and support to ensure optimal infant and young child feeding is recommended for the whole communities with health workers and community leaders to provide counseling and support related to infant and young child feeding practices.
    VL  - 2
    IS  - 3
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Public Health Department, Arbaminch University, Ethiopia

  • Public Health Department, Arbaminch University, Ethiopia

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