Factors Influencing Exclusive Breastfeeding Among Lactating Mothers Infected With Human Immunodeficiency Virus And Its Associated Health Outcomes Of Infants In Southern Highlands Regionstanza

ABSTRACT

Background: There is no other better way proven to safeguard an infant's health in the first six months of life than exclusive breastfeeding. Mother's breast milk is valuable in all aspects of an infant's physical and mental growth as well as immune development. This study assessed factors influencing exclusive breastfeeding among lactating mothers infected with HIV and its associated health outcomes of infants.

Method: A hospital-based analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in the southern highlands region of Tanzania. A random sampling procedure was employed to obtain 372 HIV-infected mothers of infants of six to twelve months who were still breastfeeding at the time of data collection. An interviewer-administered structured questionnaire was used to capture data from the study participants. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to assess predictors of EBF among HIVinfected lactating mothers. Statistical package for social science (SPSS v.20) software was used for data entry and analysis.