Prevalence of Non-Nutritive Sucking Habits and Potential Influencing Factors among Children in Urban Communities in Nigeria.
BACKGROUND
The use of non-nutritive sucking materials like pacifiers and fingers poses health challenges to children in resource-limited settings, where hygiene practices and provision of clean water are poor. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of non-nutritive sucking habits and its association with acute diarrhea in children aged 6-23 months in urban communities of Nigeria.


METHODS
In this cross-sectional study, 12 communities from 4 out of 12 geopolitical wards in Ibadan North Local Government Area and 427 mothers of children aged 6-24 months were randomly selected. A pre-tested, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to obtain information on socio-demographic characteristics, recent history of diarrhea (3 months prior to visit) and use of non-nutritive sucking materials. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square, and logistic regression were used for data analysis at p = 0.05.


RESULTS
Mean age of the children was 13.9 ± 5.3 months and 50.6% were males. Prevalence of non-nutritive sucking was 45.2%. Prevalence of non-nutritive sucking was not significantly different between males (45.8%) and females (44.5%). The odds ratio of engaging in non-nutritive sucking increases by 6.0% with increasing age (OR = 1.06; 1.02; 1.10). More children who were not exclusively breastfed (53.5%) than exclusively breastfed (26.2%) were likely to engage in non-nutritive sucking (OR = 3.25; 95% CI = 2.07, 5.12). Acute diarrhea was more frequently reported in non-nutritive sucking group than the other (OR = 1.51; 95% CI = 1.03, 2.22).


CONCLUSIONS
Non-nutritive sucking was linked with failure to practice exclusive breastfeeding, worse with increasing age, and predisposes to acute diarrhea. Further studies are necessary to verify the nature of these associations.
Institute of Child Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan , Ibadan , Nigeria.
Adebola Emmanuel
AE
Orimadegun
Institute of Child Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan , Ibadan , Nigeria.
Gabriel Omen
GO
Obokon
acute diarrhea; finger sucking; nipple dummy; pacifiers