Workplace Support for Exclusive Breastfeeding in Tamale Central Sub-Metropolitan of the Republic of Ghana: Perspectives of Employees, Coworkers and Management

ABSTRACT

 Background: Breastfeeding has been established as the gold standard of infant feeding, and exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first six months of a child’s life. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) less than 40% of children globally are exclusively breastfed up to six months. The practice of exclusive breastfeeding in Ghana is estimated at 52% and that of professional working mothers is about 10.3%. This study therefore sought to find out the support professional working mothers in schools, health facilities and banks are exposed to in relation to exclusive breastfeeding at workplaces in Tamale Central Sub-Metropolitan of the Northern Region. Methods: A mixed method study comprising quantitative technique using a structured questionnaire and a qualitative method using an in-depth interview were employed among professional working mothers, coworkers and management members between June and July 2017. Multi-stage random sampling method was used to select respondents from the various departments using the registers of employees as the sampling frame. A total sample size of 170 professional working mothers (made up of 79 teachers, 69 nurses and 22 banking staffs), 15 coworkers and 15 management members were studied. Basic descriptive statistics was run (frequencies and percentages) and association between variables was analyzed using bivariate and multivariate analysis. Results: There was high level of knowledge of breastfeeding policies by management members and employees (professional working mothers) in this study. Despite the fact that early initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour of birth was high (88.2%), the rate of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) was low (14.7%). The support for exclusive breastfeeding and coworkers support at the workplace was found to be inadequate, about 94.7% of respondents did not have a clean room for breastfeeding at the workplace and only 15.9% of respondents had a breastfeeding support policy at their place of work. Mothers in the v highest wealth quintile were 6 time more likely to initiate breastfeeding within the first hour of birth as compared to their counterparts in the lowest wealth quintile (AOR=5.725 95% CI, 2.037 - 16.088,) Conclusion: The proportion of professional working mothers who practiced exclusive breastfeeding was found to be very low compared to the national figure of 52%. However, initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour of birth was high among respondents. Workplace support and coworkers support were found to be inadequate across all the study sites visited. Early return to work and inadequate support structures at the workplace such as lack of table and chair for breastfeeding, refrigerator for breastmilk storage, tasked adjustment and paid nursing breaks were reasons for low practice of exclusive breastfeeding among this group of working mothers.