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Master of Public Health

Predictors of Exclusive Breastfeeding Among Health Care Workers in Urban Kano, Nigeria

AUTHORS

Iliyasu Z , Galadanci HS , Emokpae P , Amole TG , Nass N , Aliyu MH , . Journal of obstetric, gynecologic, and neonatal nursing : JOGNN. 2019 5 24; ().

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate knowledge, attitudes, and predictors of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) among female health care workers.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey.

SETTING: Kano, northern Nigeria.

PARTICIPANTS: The study population (N = 261) included all consenting female health care workers (nurse/midwives, n = 157; physicians, n = 39; pharmacists, n = 16; and other health care workers, n = 49) at an urban teaching hospital who were of reproductive age (18-49 years) with children less than 5 years of age (0-59 months).

METHODS: The respondents completed a structured, self-administered questionnaire. Knowledge and attitude scores for EBF were computed and adjusted odd ratios (aORs) generated from a logistic regression model.

RESULTS: Of 261 respondents, including nurse/midwives, doctors, pharmacists, and other health care workers, 61 (23.4%), 184 (70.5%), and 16 (6.1%) had good, fair, and poor knowledge of EBF, respectively. Approximately 70% (n = 182) of the respondents exclusively breastfed their infants for 6 months. About one half (50.5%, n = 132) of the respondents supported breastfeeding in the workplace. Being a nonphysician (aOR = 4.68, 95% confidence interval [CI] [2.24, 9.79]), having an older index child (age ≥12 months; aOR = 2.12, 95% CI [1.13, 4.49]), spontaneous vaginal birth (aOR = 3.31, 95% CI [1.49, 7.37]), and good knowledge of the benefits of EBF (aOR = 1.34, 95% CI [1.12, 3.53]) increased the odds of EBF.

CONCLUSION: We found knowledge, support, and practice of EBF among health care workers in Kano, Nigeria, to be suboptimal. Type of health care worker, age of the index child, type of birth, and breastfeeding knowledge independently predicted EBF. We recommend continuing education to address knowledge deficits and promote EBF among health care workers in Nigeria.

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