Knowledge, attitude, and practice of exclusive breastfeeding among post-natal women in Kwara State, Nigeria: a descriptive cross-sectional study

Résumé fourni par la source

BACKGROUND: Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is essential for optimal infant nutrition and health, yet its uptake remains suboptimal in Nigeria. Although the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) project delivers community-based nutritional interventions, there is limited evidence on how access to the intervention influenced mothers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding EBF, particularly in Kwara State. OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the KAP of EBF among mothers of infants aged 0-6 months in Kwara State and identified the sociodemographic predictors associated with these outcomes with access to ANRiN intervention as a comparator. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 582 mothers of infants aged 0-6 months (with access to ANRiN intervention as a comparator into beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries), recruited using multistage sampling. Data were collected with a structured questionnaire and analyzed using chi-square tests, t-tests, and logistic regression. RESULTS: Beneficiaries demonstrated significantly higher knowledge (10.65 ± 2.49 vs. 8.98 ± 2.69, p < 0.001) and attitude scores (5.52 ± 0.91 vs. 5.32 ± 1.13, p = 0.024) than non-beneficiaries. The prevalence of breastfeeding in the previous 24 h was also higher among beneficiaries (56.6%) compared to non-beneficiaries (43.4%, p = 0.012), though this does not necessarily reflect sustained EBF for six months. Predictors of good knowledge and attitudes differed between groups: for non-beneficiaries, partner education (p = 0.013, p = 0.009), higher income (p = 0.010), and healthcare provider information (p = 0.002) were significant, whereas among beneficiaries, urban residence (p = 0.002), self-employment (p = 0.023), and healthcare provider information (p < 0.001) were strongest. Improved practices among beneficiaries were associated with higher partner education (p = 0.048) and employment (p = 0.001, p = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: The findings show that nutritional interventions such as ANRiN not only enhance mothers' EBF knowledge and attitudes but also shape distinct predictors of practice compared to non-beneficiaries. Tailored strategies that consider these differential predictors, such as targeting rural, less-educated households for non-beneficiaries and addressing urban-rural disparities among beneficiaries, may strengthen the effectiveness of EBF promotion programs in Nigeria.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.