Determinants of Exclusive Breastfeeding Practice amongst Mothers with Children below Six Months of Age in Dayah IDP Camp Mogadishu, Somalia

Aims: The goal of this study was to look into the factors that influence exclusive breastfeeding among mothers with children under the age of six months in Dayah IDP Camp in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Study Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was adopted.

Methodology: The target population in the camp was 900 mothers with children. A total of 438 respondents were chosen for the study using systematic random sampling. Structured questionnaire was used to collect qualitative data. Quantitative data was collected at the Camp from two Focus Groups Discussion comprising nine mothers who delivered at home with the assistance of Traditional Birth Attendants and nine who delivered at a healthcare facility within Dayah IDP camp. The gathered data was analyzed using statistical program for social studies (SPSS) Version 25 and a regression model was used to determine the association between variables.

Results: The findings on the respondents recorded that 92.7% were knowledgeable about EBF but only 20.1% of them were practicing EBF, 44.6% provided water and breast milk although 76.2% believed that breast milk is sufficient for infants. In terms of age, marital status, literacy and employment 47.4% of the women were aged between 26 and 35 years, 73.2% were married, 56.1% were illiterate and 69.4% unemployed.

Conclusion: Respondents' knowledge level and socio-cultural factors had a substantial impact on exclusive breastfeeding practices, however sociodemographic parameters had no impact. This gap could be explained by the huge number of respondents who acquired information from health facilities. It is recommended that programmes focusing on informing expectant mothers and those that are nursing infants about exclusive breast feeding be emphasised. Additionally, expectant mothers must be encouraged to deliver in health facilities where they are attended to by female trained staff and are coached to solely breastfeed the infants.