A SURVEY OF FACTORS AFFECTING INFANT FEEDING PRACTICES AMONG WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE AT ADEOYO MATERNITY HOSPITAL, YEMETU, IBADAN NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Abstract

This study examined factors affecting infant breastfeeding practices among women of reproductive age at Adeoyo maternity hospital, Yemetu, Ibadan North Local Government. Women of reproductive age (15-49 years) were selected for the study. The sample consisted of 403 women. In the study both descriptive and analytical statistics was used. Descriptive statistics revealed a general pattern. 98.3% of the sample women had ever breastfed their index children. About 73% of them initiated breastfeeding immediately after delivery. Mean duration of breastfeeding was found to be 18. 9 months. Almost 51 % of the sample women introduced complementary feeding at 6 months. To analyse the factors affecting duration of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding practices, 13 variables were selected and they were grouped into demographic (age of mother, parity, birth order, sex of child and age at first birth), socioeconomic (mother's education, father's education, mother's occupation and father's occupation), and health service factors (no. of antenatal visit, place of delivery, mode of delivery and advice on breastfeeding). Both bivariate and multivariate statistics were employed for analysis. For duration of breastfeeding, only 3 variables were significant in bivariate analysis using Chi-square test while for exclusive breastfeeding practices, 4 variables showed significant association. However, after using multiple regression to determine the effect of these independent variables, parity showed significant association with duration of breastfeeding, while holding other variables constant and age of mother, parity and women's education were a determinant of exclusive breastfeeding practice in this local government.