ABSTRACT

Background: Breastfeeding entails feeding of infants or young children with breast milk from female breasts. Some mothers express milk to be used while their child is being cared for by others by hand or by using a breast pump. Globally, inadequate nutrition is an underlying cause of the deaths of more than 2.6 million children and over 100,000 mothers every year (State of the World’s Mothers, 2012). Exclusive breast feeding entails feeding an infant for 6 months and thereafter should receive complementary foods with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years of age or beyond. This research study was about the factors affecting first time mothers from exclusively breast feeding at Kyabugimbi Health Centre IV. Studies indicate that first time mothers are the most non adherent to EBF compared to other groups of mothers. Objective: The overall objective of the study was to assess the factors affecting first time mothers from exclusively breastfeeding in Kyabugimbi health center Bushenyi district. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional method was used. Results: The sample size of the study population was 100 First time mothers. The mother’s ages ranged from I5 to 44 years. The highest percentage of the mothers (44%) was in the age group of 20-24 while the least percentage (1%) was in the age group 40-44 years. EBF declined as the infant aged where the highest percentage was seen among those who exclusively breastfed for only one month (30%) and only (4%) of the mothers breastfed for six months. Health workers provided information (90%), spouses (85%) and friends (65%).Those with fair working conditions practiced EBF (52%). Of the (44%) aged between 20 – 24 years, only 36% of them did EBF for >/=4 months. Part-time and self-employed mothers stopped EBF and used complementary feeds (44%) and (60%) used complementary feeds respectively. Housewives practiced EBF (62%) more other groups of mothers. Conclusions and Recommendations: Young age, highly fixed employment status influenced on mother’s practice of EB. Mother’s perceptions of babies needing more than milk, fear of breasts loosing shape contributes to low EBF. Encouragement of EBF through public forums, health education to explain to First time mothers the importance of breastfeeding at ANC and PNC clinics, more aggressively implementing the existing policy on EBF. Research beyond this descriptive study (qualitative research) is needed; for instance a research on the adequacy of breast milk in meeting the nutritional needs of infants to 6 month

TABLE OFCONTENTS

DECLARATION................................................................................................................................. ii

DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................... iii

APPROVAL....................................................................................................................................... iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................. v

Table of figures .................................................................................................................................viii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................. ix

LIST OF OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS ......................................................................................... x

ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................................... xi

CHARPTER ONE ............................................................................................................................... 1

1.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Background to the study................................................................................................................. 1

1.2 Statement of the problem ............................................................................................................... 2

1.3 Purpose of the study ....................................................................................................................... 3

1.4 Objectives of the study ................................................................................................................... 3

1.4.1 General objective ........................................................................................................................ 3

1.4.2 Specific objectives ...................................................................................................................... 3

1.5 Study questions .............................................................................................................................. 3

1.6 Significance and Justification of the study ...................................................................................... 3

1.7 Conceptual frame work .................................................................................................................. 5

1.8 Scope of the study .......................................................................................................................... 6

CHAPTER TWO ................................................................................................................................. 7

2.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 7

2.1 Prevalence of Exclusive Breastfeeding among first time Mothers ................................................... 7

2.2 Psychosocial factors affecting exclusive breastfeeding among first time mothers ............................ 7

CHAPTER THREE ........................................................................................................................... 10

3.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 10

3.1 Study design ................................................................................................................................ 10

3.2 Study setting ................................................................................................................................ 10

3.3 Study population .......................................................................................................................... 10

3.4 Sampling ..................................................................................................................................... 10

3.5 Sample size calculation ................................................................................................................ 10

vii

3.5 Sampling procedure ..................................................................................................................... 11

3.6 Inclusion and Exclusion criteria ................................................................................................... 11

3.6.1 Inclusion criteria ....................................................................................................................... 11

3.6.2 Exclusion criteria ...................................................................................................................... 11

3.7 Methods of data collection ........................................................................................................... 11

3.8 Data collection instruments .......................................................................................................... 11

3.9 Data analysis................................................................................................................................ 12

3.10 Quality Control .......................................................................................................................... 12

3.11 Limitations and delimitations of the study .................................................................................. 12

3.12 Procedures and Ethical considerations ........................................................................................ 12

CHAPTER FOUR: STUDY FINDINGS ............................................................................................ 13

4.1 Socio-demographics ..................................................................................................................... 13

4.2 Prevalence of Exclusive Breastfeeding in first time Mothers ........................................................ 14

4.3 Psychological factors ................................................................................................................... 15

CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................... 16

5.1.1 Relationship between first time mothers’ age and EBF .............................................................. 16

5.1.2 Relationship between first time mother’s employment status and EBF ....................................... 16

5.3 Psychosocial factors affecting EBF among First time mothers ...................................................... 17

5.4 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................ 17

5.4.1 Conclusions .............................................................................................................................. 17

5.4.2 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................... 18

5.4.3 Recommendation for further research ........................................................................................ 18

REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................. 19

APPENDICES................................................................................................................................... 22

APPENDIX I: INFORMED CONSENT FORM ................................................................................ 22

APPENDIX II: SEMI-STRUCTURED QUESTIONAIRE ................................................................. 23

APPENDIX IV: WORKPLAN .......................................................................................................... 26

APPENDIX V: MAPS ....................................................................................................................... 27

MAP OF BUSHENYI DISTRICT SHOING KYABUGIMBI ............................................................ 27

MAP OF UGANDA SHOWING THE DITRICTS ............................................................................. 28