title: Infant feeding practices in the first 6 months and associated factors in a rural and semiurban community in Mangochi District, Malawi.
abstract: This cross-sectional study aimed at investigating infant feeding practices and their sociodemographic correlates in Mangochi District, Malawi. Questionnaire data from 157 rural and 192 semiurban mother-infant pairs were obtained. Early breastfeeding (< 1 hour after delivery) was practiced among 68.2% of the rural and 63% of the semiurban mothers. Colostrum was given by 96% of the sampled mothers. Exclusive breastfeeding rates in the sample at 2, 4, and 6 months were 39.1%, 27.5%, and 7.5%, respectively. At 4 months, exclusive breastfeeding was significantly higher in the semiurban (46.8%) than in the rural (4.7%) group. Living in the rural area (OR = 1.87; 95% CI 1.26-2.76) and giving birth outside a health facility (OR = 1.36; 95% CI 1.00-1.85) were risk factors for stopping exclusive breastfeeding before 6 months. The results suggest that semiurban mothers are more likely to practice optimum breastfeeding and that health facilities have an important role in its promotion.
authors.affiliation: Institute of General Practice and Community Medicine, University of Oslo, Blindern, Oslo, Norway. penjanius@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Penjani
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kamudoni
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maleta
authors.forename: Zumin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Holmboe-Ottesen
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007224:Infant Care / Q000379:methods*; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008295:Malawi; D008297:Male; D008427:Maternal Health Services; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*