Table 7 Factors that affect exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) practices among participants
Variable | No EBF | EBF | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Â | Number (%) | Number (%) | Â |
Age (in years) | Â | Â | 0.362 |
 18–24 | 13 (72.2) | 5 (27.8) |  |
 25–29 | 58 (69.9) | 25 (30.1) |  |
 30–34 | 50 (67.6) | 24 (32.4) |  |
 35–39 | 32 (78) | 9 (22) |  |
 40–44 | 7 (100) | 0 (0) |  |
  ≥ 45 | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |  |
Education background | Â | Â | 0.814 |
 Primary school or lower | 1 (100) | 0 (0) |  |
 Secondary school | 29 (70.7) | 12 (29.3) |  |
 University or higher | 129 (71.7) | 51 (28.3) |  |
Employed | Â | Â | 0.004 |
 No | 100 (65.8) | 52 (34.2) |  |
 Yes | 60 (84.5) | 11 (15.5) |  |
 Self-employed | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |  |
Employment sector | Â | Â | 0.052 |
 Private | 35 (77.8) | 10 (22.2) |  |
 Public | 23 (95.8) | 1 (4.2) |  |
Entitled to breastfeeding hours by employer | Â | Â | 0.112 |
 Yes | 46 (80.7) | 11 (19.3) |  |
 No | 11 (100) | 0 (0) |  |
Living with husband and children only | Â | Â | 0.048 |
 Yes | 130 (68.4) | 60 (31.6) |  |
 No (Living with relatives) | 24 (88.9) | 3 (11.1) |  |
 No (Separated/ Divorced/Widowed) | 3 (100) | 0 (0) |  |
Number of housemaids or nannies | Â | Â | 0.156 |
 0 | 99 (67.8) | 47 (32.2) |  |
 1 | 41 (82) | 9 (18) |  |
  > 1 | 11 (73.3) | 4 (26.7) |  |
Monthly family income (in AED) | Â | Â | 0.209 |
  < 15,000 | 68 (77.3) | 20 (22.7) |  |
 15,000–30,000 | 71 (65.7) | 37 (34.3) |  |
  > 30,000 | 15 (71.4) | 6 (28.6) |  |
Number of children | Â | Â | 0.151 |
 1 | 56 (78.9) | 15 (21.1) |  |
 2–4 | 95 (66.9) | 47 (33.1) |  |
  ≥ 5 | 9 (90) | 1 (10) |  |
Gender of last child | Â | Â | 0.010 |
 Male | 87 (79.1) | 23 (20.9) |  |
 Female | 67 (63.2) | 39 (36.8) |  |
Last child gestational age at delivery | Â | Â | 0.027 |
  < 37 weeks | 36 (85.7) | 6 (14.3) |  |
  ≥ 37 weeks | 123 (68.7) | 56 (31.3) |  |
Mode of delivery of last child | Â | Â | 0.550 |
 Vaginal delivery | 91 (70.5) | 38 (29.5) |  |
 Caesarian section | 69 (74.2) | 24 (25.8) |  |
Healthcare provider explained the importance of breastfeeding during antenatal visits for last pregnancy | Â | Â | 0.482 |
 Yes | 124 (70.9) | 51 (29.1) |  |
 No | 35 (76.1) | 11 (23.9) |  |
Healthcare provider explained the importance of breastfeeding after delivery of last child | Â | Â | 0.631 |
 Yes | 133 (72.3) | 51(27.7) |  |
 No | 26 (68.4) | 12 (31.6) |  |
Healthcare provider explained the appropriate practices of breastfeeding for last child | Â | Â | 0.849 |
 Yes | 121 (71.2) | 49 (28.8) |  |
 No | 37 (72.5) | 14 (27.5) |  |
Past breastfeeding experience | Â | Â | 0.168 |
 No other children | 52 (76.5) | 16 (23.5) |  |
 No | 12 (85.7) | 2 (14.3) |  |
 Yes | 91 (66.9) | 45 (33.1) |  |
Past exclusive breastfeeding experience | Â | Â | 0.000 |
 No other children | 51 (78.5) | 14(21.5) |  |
 No | 54 (85.7) | 9 (14.3) |  |
 Yes | 49 (56.3) | 38 (43.7) |  |
Offered readymade formula in hospital | Â | Â | 0.001 |
 Yes | 72 (84.7) | 13 (15.3) |  |
 No | 84 (63.2) | 49 (36.8) |  |