Factors working against exclusive breastfeeding among working-class women living around Dagiri Gwagwalada Area Council, Abuja

Abstract

Background: Many human rights issues addressed by various right conventions center on breastfeeding. One of these is the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which outlines fundamental human rights for children, such as the right to life, the right to develop to their full potential, and the right to be protected from harmful influences. Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the elements affecting working-class women's exclusive breastfeeding. Materials and Methods: The sample size (n = 196) for a descriptive cross-sectional study that ran from September 2022 to December 2022 was determined using a multistage sampling procedure. Tables, percentages, and Chi-square test statistics were employed at the 0.05 level of significance to examine the data using the Statistical Package Service Software (SPSS) version 23.0. Results: 48% of the respondents were within the age of 30 and 39 years. The majority of respondents (98%) identified the following factors as influencing the practice of exclusive breastfeeding among working-class women: job (93.9%), sore nipple (86.2%), insufficient lactation (43.9%), nipple not prominent (15.8%), not allowed by work (93.9%), breast milk alone before 6 months does not satisfy my baby (58.7%), lack of support from husband (67.9%), mother-in-law (76.5%), as well as inadequate maternity leave (67.9%) as the factors influencing the practice of exclusive breastfeeding among working-class women. In addition, this study shows a significant correlation between working-class women's Knowledge of exclusive breastfeeding and age (Chi-square = 6.016, df = 3, P = 0.024) and the number of children they had (Chi-square = 5.816, df = 3, P = 0.011). Conclusions: This study therefore suggests, among other things, that the state and federal Ministries of Labor and Employment set up childcare for the infant close to the mothers' places of employment to allow their babies to be brought to the workplace or breastfeeding mothers to go to the childcare facility at the time of breastfeeding.