Table 1 Distribution of early initiation of breastfeeding across the child, maternal and community/household level characteristics of women
Variable | Initiation of breastfeeding (n = 4219) | |
|---|---|---|
After 1 hour n (%) 1869 (44.3%) | Within 1 hour n (%) 2350 (55.7%) | |
Child characteristics | ||
Sex of child | ||
Male | 1019 (54.1) | 1201 (51.5) |
Female | 866 (45.9) | 1132 (48.5) |
Size at birth | ||
Larger than Average | 953 (50.5) | 1203 (51.6) |
Average | 602 (31.9) | 783 (33.6) |
Smaller than average | 331 (17.6) | 347 (14.9) |
Birth order | ||
1 | 477 (25.2) | 480 (20.6) |
2–4 | 932 (49.4) | 1267 (54.3) |
5+ | 476 (25.2) | 586 (25.1) |
Twin status | ||
Single birth | 1842 (97.7) | 2271 (97.3) |
Twin | 44 (2.3) | 62 (2.7) |
Type of assistance during delivery | ||
Non-health professional | 503 (26.7) | 517 (22.2) |
Health professional | 1383 (73.3) | 1816 (77.8) |
Place child was delivered | ||
Home | 502 (26.6) | 536 (23.0) |
Health facility | 1384 (73.4) | 1797 (77.0) |
Maternal factors | ||
Age | ||
15–24 | 393 (20.9) | 512 (22.0) |
25–34 | 872 (46.2) | 1143 (49.0) |
35–49 | 621 (32.9) | 678 (29.1) |
Marital status | ||
Not Married | 751 (39.8) | 871 (37.3) |
Married | 1134 (60.2) | 1463 (62.7) |
Religion | ||
Christianity | 1450 (76.9) | 1774 (76.0) |
Islam | 292 (15.5) | 415 (18.0) |
Traditionalist | 66 (3.5) | 60 (2.6) |
No region | 78 (4.1) | 85 (3.6) |
Ethnicity | ||
Akan | 860 (45.6) | 1138 (48.8) |
Ga-Dangbme | 142 (7.6) | 126 (5.4) |
Ewe | 279 (14.8) | 282 (12.1) |
Mole-Dagbani | 305 (16.2) | 426 (18.3) |
Others | 299 (15.9) | 362 (15.5) |
Education | ||
No education | 426 (24.5) | 644 (27.6) |
Primary | 406 (21.5) | 422 (18.1) |
Secondary | 937 (49.7) | 1151 (49.2) |
Higher | 80 (4.2) | 116 (5.0) |
Working status | ||
Not working | 329 (17.5) | 409 (17.5) |
Working | 1.556 (82.5) | 1925 (82.5) |
Frequency of reading newspaper/magazine | ||
Not at all | 1655 (87.8) | 2045 (87.7) |
Less than once a week | 150 (7.9) | 145 (6.2) |
At least once a week | 81 (4.3) | 143 (6.1) |
Frequency of listening to radio | ||
Not at all | 333 (17.7) | 403 (17.3) |
Less than once a week | 600 (31.8) | 780 (33.4) |
At least once a week | 952 (50.5) | 1150 (49.3) |
Frequency of watching television | ||
Not at all | 538 (28.5) | 667 (28.6) |
Less than once a week | 445 (23.6) | 635 (27.2) |
At least once a week | 903 (47.9) | 1032 (44.2) |
Number of ANC visits | ||
0 | 58 (3.1) | 51 (2.2) |
1–3 | 215 (11.4) | 198 (8.5) |
4+ | 1613 (85.5) | 2085 (89.4) |
Community/household factors | ||
Region | ||
Western | 176 (9.3) | 260 (11.1) |
Central | 184 (9.8) | 282 (12.1) |
Greater Accra | 330 (17.5) | 353 (15.1) |
Volta | 172 (9.1) | 151 (6.5) |
Eastern | 191 (10.1) | 207 (8.9) |
Ashanti | 385 (20.4) | 359 (15.4) |
Brong-Ahafo | 142 (7.5) | 235 (10.1) |
Northern | 181 (9.6) | 314 (13.4) |
Upper east | 58 (3.1) | 124 (5.3) |
Upper west | 65 (3.4) | 48 (2.1) |
Place of residence | ||
Rural | 1008 (53.5) | 1269 (54.4) |
Urban | 878 (46.5) | 1063 (45.6) |
Wealth index | ||
Poor | 765 (40.6) | 984 (42.2) |
Middle | 403 (21.4) | 442 (18.9) |
Rich | 717 (38.0) | 907 (38.9) |