Exclusive Breastfeeding Practices Among Women In The Formal Sector Of The Greater Accra Region And Implications For The Lactational Room Policy

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In Ghana, even though the knowledge of the practice and benefits of exclusive breast feeding amongst women is very high, only 52% of babies are breastfed up to 6 months of life. In Ghana 49.52% of the work force are females, also 40.1% of workers are within the formal sector. Better educated women participate more in the formal sector and earn higher incomes. This study sought to examine exclusive breastfeeding practices amongst women in the formal sector in the Greater Accra region and the implication for the breastfeeding room policy in Ghana.

METHODS: The study was a cross sectional analytical study and it employed a quantitative approach. The study was conducted at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Police Hospital, Narh-Bita Hospital and Port Medical Centre. All consecutive formal sector working mothers who reported to the immunization clinic of these hospitals were recruited (359 mothers). They were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The data collection for the study covered a period of 4 weeks (June to July 2018). The data was analysed using Stata 15.0, frequency tables and percentages were used to describe the distribution of variables and cross tabulations with Chi-square tests were also used to establish bivariate associations between exclusive breastfeeding and independent variables. Logistic regression was then used to investigate if the independent variables were jointly associated with the practice of exclusive breastfeeding.

RESULTS: The results showed that 191(52.3%) of mothers in the formal sector exclusively breastfeed their babies. The average number of months spent on practicing exclusive breastfeeding was 5.2 months. The higher the income of the less likely a woman was to exclusively breastfeed.

Knowledge of EBF is high 111 (68%) among mothers working in the formal sector. About 227 (93%) of formal sector working mothers had accurate knowledge of exclusive breastfeeding but only 103 (45.4%) of them actually practiced exclusive breastfeeding. Only mothers who received information about EBF from their partners had the highest 60.6% EBF practice. Fifty three (14.8%) of mothers described their workplace as very supportive for breastfeeding and out of that 29(54.7%) of them practiced EBF.

CONCLUSION: Slightly over fifty percent of women in the formal sector practices EBF. Despite the non-availability of organizational structures in place a breastfeeding supportive workplace also increases the likelihood of a woman exclusively breastfeeding her baby. Male involvement and partner support in EBF increases a woman’s likelihood to practice EBF.