Determinants of Mothers’ Breastfeeding Practices in Kaduna State

ABSTRACT

Thestudywasondeterminantsofmothers’ breastfeeding practicesinKadunastate.Four(4) objectives and four(4) research questions were formulated with three(3)null hypotheses. Survey research design was adopted for the study. The population for the study was drawn from 30 different hospitals in Zaria metropolis. A total population of allnursing mothers who attended ante-natal clinics was, three thousand, two hundred andfive (3,205). Simple random sampling was used to draw a sample size of three hundredand twenty one (321) nursing mothers. Structured questionnaire was used in collecting data. Data collected were analyzed using frequencies, mean and percentages.Independent t-test of significant differences was used to analyzed hypotheses one (1), while chi-square of significant relationship was used to analyze hypothesis three (2) andthree(3).Findingsrevealedthatexclusivebreastfeedingpracticeswasthemostfrequently used method by nursing mothers in breastfeeding their children. It was alsodiscovered that socio-economic status and levels of nursing mothers’ education, was apositive determinants on the mother and child breastfeeding practices. It was concludedthat, uneducated mothers find it difficult to adapt to positive changes in breastfeedingpatterns and rarely breastfed their children hygienically. Among the recommendationsmade was the need for health inspectors to visit rural places where nursing mothers arenoteducated toensure healthy hygiene practicesofexclusivebreastfeeding.

TABLEOFCONTENTS

TitlePage----------i

Declaration----------ii

Certification----------iii

Dedication----------iv

Acknowledgements---------v

Abstract----------vii

ListofTables----------xi

ListofAbbreviation---------xiii

OperationalDefinitionofTerms-------xiv

CHAPTERONE:INTRODUCTION

1.1Background totheStudy--------1

1.2StatementoftheProblem-------4

1.3Objectivesofthe Study-  -------5

1.4ResearchQuestions--------6

1.5ResearchHypotheses--------7

1.6SignificanceoftheStudy--------7

1.7BasicAssumptionsofthestudy-------8

1.8Delimitationofthestudy--------9

CHAPTERTWO: REVIEWOFRELATEDLITERATURE

2.1ConceptualFramework------10

2.1.1SocialistFeminismandInfantBreastfeedingPractice---11

2.1.2 SymbolicInteractionandInfantFeeding-----12

2.2 Conceptsof Breastfeeding-------13

2.3TypesofBreastfeeding-------16

2.3.1ExclusiveBreastfeeding-------16

2.3.2MixedFeeding-----19

2.4Benefits of Breastfeeding-----22

2.5Impact of Exclusive Breastfeeding on the Mother and Child-30

2.6ImpactofMixedBreastfeedingontheMotherandChild---34

2.7InfluenceofSocio-Economic StatusonBreastfeeding---39

2.8InfluenceofMaternalEducationonBreastfeedingPractice---40

2.9Nursing Mothers' Opinion on Breastfeeding----43

2.10EmpiricalStudies --------43

2.11Summary of Reviewed Literature------51

CHAPTERTHREE:RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

3.1 ResearchDesign---------52

3.2 Population fortheStudy--------53

3.3SampleSizeandSamplingProcedure------55

3.4InstrumentforDataCollection-------57

3.4.1 Validity of theInstrument-------58

3.4.2 Pilot Study---------58

3.4.3 Reliability of the Instrument-------59

3.5 Procedure for Data Collection-------59

3.6 Procedure for Data Analysis-------60

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

4.1 Analyses of Demographic Data-------61

4.2 Answers to Research Objectives andResearchQuestions---65

4.3 Testing of Null Hypotheses-------71

4.4 Discussion of Findings--------77

4.5 Summary of Findings--------82

CHAPTERFIVE:SUMMARY,CONCLUSION ANDRECOMMENDATIONS

5.1Summary----------84

5.2Conclusion---------88

5.3Recommendations--------89

REFERENCES---------91

APPENDICESI-III---------96