Breastfeeding Determinants in Bafia Health District (Cameroon): A Cross-Sectional Study.

Abstract

Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) provides optimal nutrition, but only 48% of Cameroonian infants are breastfed early within 1 h after birth, and 40% are EBF until 6 months, below WHO's 2025 target of 50%. We aimed to identify factors associated with early breastfeeding initiation and exclusivity in Bafia Health District, Cameroon. A cross-sectional study at six health facilities examined 422 newborns (≤ 14 days) for early initiation and 544 infants (6-15 months) for EBF. Data from structured questionnaires on sociodemographic, obstetric, and breastfeeding factors were analyzed using multivariate binary logistic regression. The prevalence of early breastfeeding initiation was 73.7% (95% CI: 69.30%-77.67%), and EBF prevalence was 53.9% (95% CI: 49.66%-58.01%). Factors promoting early initiation included vaginal delivery (aOR = 5.64), maternal pregnancy awareness (aOR = 2.22), and singleton pregnancy (aOR = 2.31). Continued EBF was positively influenced by maternal pregnancy awareness (aOR = 2.67), lack of maternal employment (aOR = 7.23), maternal education (aOR = 2.04), and Muslim faith (aOR = 4.20). Although breastfeeding rates are higher than the national average, they still fall short of WHO recommendations. Enhancing maternal education and awareness initiatives during pregnancy could greatly boost early initiation and EBF duration, leading to improved infant health outcomes.