RÉSUMÉ
Background: Low adoption of exclusive breast feeding among mothers and its impact on the infants has been attributed to several factors. The im of the study was to assess exclusive breastfeeding practices and predictors among women attending child care immunization services at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (AE-FUTHA). Methods: The design of this study is cross-sectional survey. The population of the study comprised of 2100 women who registered for child care immunization services at Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki from the month of January-March, 2023. Convenience sampling technique was used in selecting the participants. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, frequency counts and percentages and t test statistics. Results: The results showed that the exclusive breastfeeding practices of the women were high (3.33±0.39). Also, EBP of the women was high based on age and parity. Although, there was no significant difference in the exclusive breastfeeding practices based on parity (p>0.05). However, there was significant difference in the exclusive breastfeeding practices based on age of the mothers (p<0.05). Conclusions: The study concluded that to sustain the high practices of exclusive breastfeeding among women attending child care immunization services at AE-FUTHA, there is need to continue to engage them on seminars, workshops and conferences by health workers on the days of immunization with special focus to the younger age of the mothers in order to sustain the high EBPs.
RÉSUMÉ
Background: Poor delivery of childhood immunization with the interacting factors has been a significant public health challenge especially in the sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria has been presented as one the countries with the worst under-five mortality rates, and factors affecting childhood immunization including maternal factors are poorly understood. The study determined the influence of maternal characteristics and immunization status of under-five children in Ebonyi State. Methods: Data were collected using an Immunization Status Checklist (ISC). The population of the study was 572,955 under-five children in Ebonyi State from which 2865 was sampled. Data were analyzed using percentages and chi-square. Results: The findings of the study revealed that 83.01% of under-5 children were fully immunized. The chi-square analysis shows a significant influence of mothers’ parity at (p<0.05), mothers’ occupation at (p<0.05) and mothers’ use of antenatal services at (p<0.05). Conclusions: The study concluded that immunization status of under-five children in Ebonyi State was high and maternal characteristics had significant influence on immunization status of under-five children. Thus, recommended that government should provide tangible incentives to mothers who fully immunized their children and promulgate a law to prevent children without immunization cards showing full immunization from registering in public and private primary schools.