Determinants of early initiation of breastfeeding and possible effects of communication program for behavior change in Niger - Horii, Naoko
Background. Optimal postpartum breastfeeding is uncommon in Niger, and its benefit is insufficiently exploited for reducing neonatal mortality risks. Less than half of mothers (48%) in Niger put their child to the breast within 1 hour of birth. UNICEF launched an integrated behaviour change communication program to promote key family practices, among others, early and exclusive breastfeeding. Objective. This study investigates risk factors hindering early initiation of breastfeeding in rural Niger. It analyzes the impact of a communication program promoting Key Family Practices. Methods. A secondary analysis was conducted based on a quantitative dataset of a retrospective comparative study conducted in four regions of Niger. The study population included 1,319 women aged 15-49 years having children less than 23 months. Multivariate logistic regression analysis examined the association between early initiation of breastfeeding and socio-demographic and economic status, and health seeking behaviours of mothers. Results. Mothers in polygynous unions were more likely to initiate early breastfeeding (66%, p=0.001) and be better-off (42%, p= 0.002) than those in monogamous unions. Program activities such as home visits by trained community workers tried to reach mothers in monogamous unions more (59%, p<0.001). In the intervention group, early breastfeeding increased for both groups: monogomous mothers showed progress as much as polygynous groups (90%, p<0.001, 87%, p<0.001 respectively). Conclusions and Implications. Further investigation is necessary to explore the role of socio-economic vulnerability on program responsiveness for improving postpartum breastfeeding.
Keywords: conferencePaper; Behavior Mechanism; Breastfeeding; COMMUNICATION; Marital status