Practices of lactating mothers regarding exclusive breastfeeding in Outapi district, Omusati region: a qualitative study.

Introduction: Breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of a child's life is beneficial to the child's health and development.

Objectives: The study objectives were to determine and describe the practices of lactating mothers regarding exclusive breastfeeding and to determine the association between the overall level of practice and demographic characteristics.

Methods: The study employed a quantitative approach which utilised a descriptive- analytic design. The study population was all women in Outapi district breastfeeding babies aged 0 to 6 months. Data was collected from three clinic selected though cluster sampling and 200 participants were sampled through simple random sampling participated in the study. Data were collected in April 2022 using a questionnaire. Data was analysed using a Software Package for Social Science (SPSS VERSION 25.0). Frequency distribution tables and descriptive statistics were generated to summarise data and bivariate analysis was performed to determine the association between sociodemographic characteristics and the level of breastfeeding practices.

Results: The study found that, most 121 (60.5%) participants have poor practice on exclusive breastfeeding. Furthermore, the study found an association between the level of practice and babies' age.

Conclusion: Poor practices regarding exclusive breastfeeding may negatively affect babies' health. Therefore there is a need for reinforcement on the practice as well as health education on the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding. It is recommended that the Ministry of Health and Social Services in Namibia formulate a policy to enforce exclusive breastfeeding among women.