Sara Bashir Kant, Humaira Mahmood, Masood-ur Rehman, Misha Anis, Assad Hafeez.
Determinants of Exclusive Breastfeeding among Mothers in Rawalpindi: a Cross Sectional Study.
Pak J Public Health Jan ;10(2):120-4.

Background: Exclusive Breast Feeding is one of the most cost effective and simple ways to ensure child health and survival and is the single most instrumental intervention that leads to decreased child mortality and morbidity. This study was done to determine the frequency of exclusive breast feeding among mothers in rural Rawalpindi and to determine the frequency of factors affecting exclusive breast feeding among mothers in rural Rawalpindi. Methods: It was a descriptive cross- sectional study, conducted in 6 months in Union Council Mandra, from November 2014 to April 2015. A sample size of 245was selected through non-probability consecutive sampling. Data was collected on a structured questionnaire from mothers visiting the RHC Mandra facility after taking informed consent. Data was analyzed in the statistical software SPSS 10. Results: The frequency of Exclusive Breast Feeding (EBF) determined in the study was 52.2%. 29% mothers had primary level education, 52.7% had deliveries in the public hospitals and 46.5% were house wives. The birth order, age of the child, number of antenatal visits, birth wt. and mode of delivery (p<0.05) were significantly associated with EBF. The association of mother's and father's education level, monthly income, birth interval and mother's occupation with EBF were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Conclusion: Health education by health professionals during antenatal period to initiate and maintain exclusive breast feeding should be strengthened by focusing more on the nutritional aspects of the newborn babies and its benefits in the later life.

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