FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING IN ACCRA, GHANA
(Preliminary results)

B. Chinebuah-Aidam (Univ. of Connecticut) A. Lartey Ph. D. (Univ. of Ghana)
R. Pérez Escamilla Ph. D. (Univ. of Connecticut)

Infant feeding practices of mothers is an important determinant of children's nutritional status. In Ghana, breastfeeding is near universal although exclusive breastfeeding to 6 months is still low.

This exploratory cross-sectional study was designed to assess exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) patterns and factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding in 17 Immunization and Growth Monitoring centers in Accra. A total of 376 women with children 0 - 6 months were asked to report on current and past feeding practices, social support for/against exclusive breastfeeding, and exposure to breastfeeding promotion.

The study hypotheses were:

1. Women exposed to breastfeeding promotion efforts were more likely to EBF their infants.
2. Women with more social support for breastfeeding from partners, close friends, and relatives were more likely to EBF their infants.

Two definitions of EBF were employed:

1. Excusive breastfeeding since birth
2. Exclusive breastfeeding over the past 24 hours

Using the “EBF since birth definition”, ownership of a house, delivery place, opinion towards EBF, and planned/intention to EBF were significant determinants of EBF. Using the definition for “EBF for the last 24 hours”, delivery place, opinion towards EBF, and planned/intention to EBF were significant determinants of EBF.

Obtaining antenatal care, and delivering at hospitals and polyclinics resulted in -2-fold higher likelihood of EBF. Hospitals and polyclinics were also the single most commonly named source of EBF information.

These results suggest that recent EBF promotion efforts occurring in hospitals and polyclinics have had an effect on the EBF prevalence. Also delivery at maternity homes, private clinics or other sites may pose a risk for non-EBF.

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