Determinants of exclusive breastfeeding among mothers in Ghana: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND Mothers are encouraged to practice exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a child's life. The general objective of the study was to assess the predictors of exclusive breastfeeding among mothers in Ghana. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study using data from the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS). The study sample (n = 316) was based on infants (0-5 months old) during the survey period; extracted from the individual (women) data set. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the association between selected independent variables. RESULTS In general, the rate of exclusive breastfeeding was 64 percent. Marital status, region and place of delivery were found to be associated with the practice of exclusive breastfeeding. The logistic regression model illustrated mothers from the Volta Region, those who delivered in a government health facility, and mothers who perceived their infants to be average in size were more likely to practice exclusive breastfeeding. CONCLUSION Appropriate health education programmes by the Ministry of Health targeting mothers who are less likely to practice exclusive breastfeeding are recommended.