title: Exclusive breastfeeding and associated factors among mothers in Debre Markos, Northwest Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Exclusive breastfeeding is the most widely known and effective intervention for preventing early-childhood deaths. Optimum breastfeeding practices can prevent 1.4 million deaths worldwide among children under five every year. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding and associated factors among mothers who have an infant less than six months old in Debre Markos, Northwest Ethiopia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A community based cross-sectional study was conducted from April 1 to 30, 2013. A simple random sampling technique was used from a list of all mothers who had an infant less than six months old obtained from the health extension workers (HEWs) registration book in all kebeles (neighbourhoods) of the city. A total of 423 mothers with infants less than six months old were included in this study. Data were collected using questionnaires administered at interview. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out to identify factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding during the seven days before the survey was 60.8% (95% CI: 55.8%, 65.8%). Those mothers who were unemployed [AOR = 1.98 (1.21, 3.22)], received breastfeeding counseling during antenatal care (ANC) [AOR = 2.44 (1.53, 3.91)], received infant feeding counseling during postnatal care (PNC) [AOR = 5.03 (3.04, 8.31)], didn't give prelacteal feeding [AOR = 3.44 (1.88, 6.33)] and had adequate knowledge about breastfeeding [AOR = 2.57 (1.57, 4.19)] were more likely to practice EBF than their counterparts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding was lower in the study area than international recommendations, rates were higher than found in other studies. Recommendations for improving exclusive breastfeeding include better support for working mothers through extending maternal leave and establishing work-site day care centers for infants, expanding the urban health extension program so that more pregnant women and mothers can be taught about appropriate infant and young child feeding practices and how to express their milk, thereby increasing their breastfeeding knowledge.
authors: College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Public Health, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia.
authors: Getnet
authors: G
authors: Mekuria
authors: Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Applied Human Nutrition, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
authors: Melkie
authors: M
authors: Edris
references: Int Breastfeed J. 2011 Nov 09;6(1):17
references: 22070861
references: Int Breastfeed J. 2012 Jan 10;7(1):1
references: 22230510
references: Breastfeed Med. 2011 Aug;6(4):209-13
references: 21214391
references: Pediatrics. 2011 Dec;128(6):1117-25
references: 22123898
references: Int Breastfeed J. 2011 Feb 02;6(1):2
references: 21284889
references: Rev Esc Enferm USP. 2012 Jun;46(3):537-43
references: 22773471
references: J Clin Diagn Res. 2012 Nov;6(9):1525-7
references: 23285446
references: Singapore Med J. 2009 Feb;50(2):181-4
references: 19296034
references: BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2011 Jan 11;11:2
references: 21219659
references: Int Breastfeed J. 2012 Nov 27;7(1):17
references: 23186223
references: Breastfeed Med. 2011 Aug;6(4):191-6
references: 21770735
references: Afr Health Sci. 2011 Sep;11(3):518-23
references: 22275948
references: Adv Nutr. 2011 Nov;2(6):523-4
references: 22332095
references: East Mediterr Health J. 2010 Aug;16(8):879-85
references: 21473131