Prevalence and associated factors of timely initiation of breastfeeding among mothers at Debre Berhan town, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Table 1 Socio demographic characteristics of mothers with children under six months of age at Debre Berhan Town, Ethiopia, April 2013

Characteristics	Number (n = 409)	Percent (%)
Age
15–19	6	1.5
20–24	117	28.6
25–29	147	35.9
30–34	81	19.8
35–39	54	13.2
40–44	4	1
Religion
Orthodox	316	77.3
Muslim	43	10.5
Protestant	31	7.6
Other^a	19	4.6
Educational status of mothers
No formal education	145	35.5
Primary education	99	24.2
Secondary education	83	20.3
Tertiary education	82	20
Educational status of the husband (n = 360)
No formal education	110	30.6
Primary education	74	20.6
Secondary education	82	22.8
Tertiary education	94	26.1
Ethnicity
Amhara	359	87.8
Oromo	30	7.3
Others	20	4.9
Marital status
Married	346	84.6
Single	38	9.3
Divorced	8	2
Other^b	17	4.1
Occupation of mother
Housewives	176	43
Government employee	64	15.6
Private organization employee	49	12
Private work	100	24.4
Other^c	20	4.9
Family size
≤3	129	31.5
>3	280	68.5
Family type
Nuclear	171	41.8
Extended	238	58.2
Monthly income (ETB)
Lower	136	33.3
Medium	184	45
Higher	89	21.8

^ainclude Catholic, Jehovah, Adventist, ^binclude widowed and separated, ^cinclude students, beggars, and daily laborers

ISSN: 1746-4358