PREVALENCE AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH NON-EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING AMONG INFANTS AGED BETWEEN 0 AND 6 MONTHS IN RWANDA. SECONDARY DATA ANALYSIS, FINDINGS FROM THE RWANDA DEMOGRAPHIC & HEALTH SURVEY 2019/20

Abstract

Abstract

Introduction: In Rwanda, despite global efforts to promote exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of infants' lives, there exists a significant prevalence of non-exclusive breastfeeding (NEBF) practices. NEBF contributes up to 45% of neonatal infection-related deaths, 30% of deaths linked to diarrhea, and 18% of fatalities associated with acute respiratory issues in toddlers. Additionally, these infections are responsible for 10% of the overall disease burden in infants.

Method: The research employed a cross- sectional quantitative method approach. A representative sample of mothers with infants aged 0-6 months were selected, and data were collected on socio-demographic factors, maternal knowledge and attitudes towards breastfeeding, access to healthcare services, and cultural influences. The data were extracted from RDHS (Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey) 2019-20, and recorded. Descriptive analysis was conducted to determine the prevalence of NEBF, bivariate analysis was performed to examine the relationship between associated factors and NEBF, and multivariate analysis was performed to identify the adjusted association with NEBF while controlling for confounding factors.

Results: The study found that 4.4% of infants aged 0-6 months in Rwanda were non-exclusively breastfed. The study revealed that infants from rural area (AOR= 0.162, 95% CI=0.035-0.758), and the infants from the mothers with secondary educational level (AOR=0.088, 95% CI=0.008-0.973) were less likely to be non-exclusively breastfed compared to the infants from urban area and mothers with higher education level respectively. Moreover, the Male sexed of child (AOR=4.354, 95% CI=1.109-17.1) was 4.354 times more likely to be non-exclusively breastfed compared to the female sexed child.

Conclusion: The findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions to promote exclusive breastfeeding, particularly focusing on urban areas, mothers with higher education, and addressing the gender disparity in breastfeeding practices.