Table 5 Factors associated with early initiation of breastfeeding: results from unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression model, among infants six weeks old and still alive at the time of the interview, PMA Ethiopia 2019–2021 cohort (n = 2564)

Maternal age

 15–19 (ref)

 20 -24

1.34

(0.90

2.01)

0.152

1.07

(0.68

1.68)

0.776

 25–34

1.07

(0.74

1.56)

0.707

0.83

(0.52

1.34)

0.446

 35–49

0.90

(0.59

1.37)

0.611

0.69

(0.39

1.24)

0.216

Maternal education

 No education (ref)

 Primary

1.05

(0.82

1.35)

0.699

0.93

(0.69

1.24)

0.604

 Secondary and higher

1.35

(0.99

1.83)

0.060

1.11

(0.75

1.66)

0.595

Marital status

 Married (ref)

 Unmarried

0.81

(0.52

1.26)

0.341

0.84

(0.52

1.35)

0.472

Residence

 Rural (ref)

 Urban

1.45

(1.03

2.04)

0.032

1.37

(0.84

2.25)

0.206

Religion

 Protestant (ref)

 Orthodox

0.89

(0.62

1.28)

0.541

0.73

(0.45

1.18)

0.197

 Muslim

1.17

(0.77

1.79)

0.463

1.17

(0.69

1.98)

0.574

 Catholic/ ~ s

0.67

(0.24

1.84)

0.435

0.50

(0.17

1.46)

0.207

Parity

 1 (ref)

 2 + 

1.17

(0.94

1.45)

0.0.16

1.54

(1.13

2.09)

0.006*

Wealth index

 Low (ref)

 Middle

1.02

(0.74

1.40)

0.918

0.99

(0.70

1.40)

0.944

 High

1.15

(0.85

1.56)

0.352

0.76

(0.51

1.12)

0.165

ANC visit

 0 visit (ref)

 1–3 visits

0.82

(0.62

1.09)

0.166

0.75

(0.55

1.03)

0.073

 4 + visits

1.21

(0.91

1.59)

0.186

1.03

(0.74

1.41)

0.881

Delivery place

 Home (ref)

 Facility

1.76

(1.37

2.26)

0.000

0.73

(0.33

1.62)

0.432

Mode of delivery

 Vaginal (ref)

 Caesarean

0.27

(0.19

0.38)

0.000

0.27

(0.17

0.41)

0.000***

Skilled birth attendant

 No (ref)

 Yes

1.78

(1.38

2.28)

0.000

2.13

(1.01

4.48)

0.046*

Baby cry/breathe normally immediately after birth

 No (ref)

 Yes

9.78

(6.37

15.04)

0.000

3.31

(1.95

5.62)

0.000***

Baby placed on mother’s chest immediately after delivery

 No (ref)

 Yes

3.02

(2.39

3.82)

0.000

1.58

(1.14

2.20)

0.006**

Obstetric complication

 No (ref)

 Yes

0.70

(0.56

0.87)

0.001

0.74

(0.58

0.95)

0.017*

Pregnancy intention

 Unintended (ref)

 Intended

1.08

(0.86

1.36)

0.511

1.18

(0.91

1.52)

0.215

Baby gender

 Male (ref)

 Female

1.12

(0.91

1.39)

0.283

1.10

(0.88

1.37)

0.410

PNC within 1 h of birth

 No (ref)

 Yes

1.57

(1.15

2.15)

0.005

1.54

(1.07

2.22)

0.021*

Maternity home

 No (ref)

 Yes

1.15

(0.86

1.53)

0.345

1.11

(0.78

1.58)

0.577

Region

 Addis(ref)

 Tigray

0.91

(0.47

1.74)

0.767

0.96

(0.46

1.99)

0.911

 Afar

0.45

(0.20

1.00)

0.049

0.36

(0.14

0.95)

0.040*

 Amhara

0.69

(0.37

1.29)

0.248

0.81

(0.39

1.67)

0.565

 Oromia

1.24

(0.67

2.29)

0.495

1.18

(0.58

2.40)

0.655

 SNNP

1.09

(0.59

2.04)

0.781

1.16

(0.53

2.53)

0.709

Random effect

Var (EA)

0.80

(0.54

1.18)