Socio-demographic and health system factors in relation to exclusive breast-feeding in Tobago

ABSTRACT

To determine the prevalence and significant correlates of exclusive breast-feeding among nursing mothers, we conducted a survey among nursing mothers attending the Wellness Baby Clinic in Tobago from July 1 to December 1, 1998. A random sample of 151 mothers had face-to-face interviews with a standardized pretested questionnaire. Our results suggest that 48.3 and 20.8 of infants were exclusively breast-fed at two and four months respectively. Univariate logistic regression analyses showed that exclusive breast-feeding at two months was significantly positively associated with years of schooling completed by the mother, frequency of prenatal visits, mode of breast-feeding, mother's knowledge of the recommended duration of breast-feeding, and occupation of the child's father. Exclusive breast-feeding at four months was significantly positively associated with mother's age, years of schooling completed by the mother, frequency of prenatal visits, mother's knowledge of the recommended duration of breast-feeding, years of schooling completed by the child's father and occupation of the child's father. In multivariate logistic analyses, adjusting simultaneously for all relevant explanatory variables, exclusive breast-feeding at two months was significantly positively associated with frequency of prenatal clinic visits, mode of breast-feeding, mother's knowledge of the recommended duration of breast-feeding and occupation of the child's father. In addition, exclusive breast-feeding at four months was significantly positively associated with frequency of prenatal clinic visits, length of hospital stay, mother's knowledge of recommended duration of breast-feeding, years of schooling completed by the child's father, family structure and inversely associated with mother's age. In this sample, parental socio-demographic characteristics and health system factors were associated with subsequent infant feeding practices.