Table 6 Factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding/EBF: 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)

 Youth (20–24)

1.69

(1.19

2.39)

0.004

1.48

(1.01 2.16)

0.043*

 Adult1(25–34)

1.54

(1.11

2.13)

0.009

1.18

(0.79 1.75)

0.419

 Adult2(35–49)

1.40

(0.96

2.04)

0.084

0.99

(0.61 1.62)

0.969

Maternal education

 No education (ref)

 Primary

0.83

(0.67

1.04)

0.108

0.83

(0.64 1.07)

0.159

 Secondary or higher

1.08

(0.83

1.42)

0.566

1.01

(0.72 1.41)

0.951

Marital status

 Married (ref)

 Unmarried

0.94

(0.63

1.43)

0.785

0.94

(0.61 1.45)

0.784

Residence

 Rural (ref)

 Urban

1.08

(0.80

1.46)

0.619

1.05

(0.703 1.574)

0.806

Religion

 Protestant (ref)

 Orthodox

1.46

(1.07

1.99)

0.016

0.76

(0.52 1.11)

0.154

 Muslim

1.23

(0.86

1.76)

0.249

0.97

(0.64 1.46)

0.883

 Catholic/Others

1.03

(0.43

2.45)

0.955

0.72

(0.29 1.74)

0.463

Parity

 1 (ref)

 2 + 

1.27

(1.05

1.54)

0.014

1.41

(1.08 1.82)

0.01*

Wealth index

 Low (ref)

 Middle

1.29

(0.96

1.73)

0.091

1.29

(0.95 1.75)

0.107

 High

1.24

(0.949

1.62)

0.115

1.13

(0.80 1.59)

0.493

ANC visit

 0 visit (ref)

 1–3 visits

1.27

(0.984

1.646)

0.066

1.16

(0.88 1.52)

0.303

 4 + visits

1.40

(1.097

1.777)

0.007

1.22

(0.94 1.59)

0.138

Delivery place

 Home (ref)

 Delivery at facilities

1.10

(0.874

1.379)

0.422

0.98

(0.51 1.87)

0.940

Mode of delivery

 Vaginal (ref)

 Caesarean

0.82

(0.580

1.146)

0.239

0.97

(0.64 1.47)

0.897

Skilled birth attendant

 No (ref)

 Yes

1.07

(0.851

1.346)

0.562

1.05

(0.58 1.89)

0.885

Baby cry/breathe normally immediately after birth

 No (ref)

 Yes

5.25

(3.468

7.947)

0.000

1.81

(1.09 2.99)

0.020*

Baby placed on mother’s chest immediately after delivery

 No (ref)

 Yes

1.44

(1.179

1.761)

0.000

1.21

(0.92 1.60)

0.171

Obstetric complication

 No (ref)

 Yes

0.84

(0.686

1.015)

0.071

0.93

(0.75 1.14)

0.470

Pregnancy intention

 Unintended (ref)

 Intended

0.99

(0.805

1.211)

0.903

1.00

(0.80 1.25)

0.984

Baby sex

 Male (ref)

 Female

1.44

(1.191

1.733)

0.000

1.38

(1.14 1.67)

0.001**

PNC

 No (ref)

 Yes

0.94

(0.760

1.158)

0.552

0.80

(0.61 1.06)

0.123

EBF counseling

 No (ref)

 Yes

1.02

(0.793

1.308)

0.888

0.92

(0.71 1.21)

0.563

Maternity home

 No (ref)

 Yes

1.07

(0.829

1.383)

0.600

0.93

(0.69 1.24)

0.610

Any illness

 No (ref)

 Yes

0.65

(0.535

0.786)

0.000

0.57

(0.47 0.69)

0.000***

Region

 Addis (ref)

 Tigray

3.70

(2.188

6.267)

0.000

4.64

(2.59 8.31)

0.000***

 Afar

0.68

(0.367

1.248)

0.211

0.58

(0.28 1.24)

0.159

 Amhara

2.88

(1.748

4.738)

0.000

3.29

(1.86 5.84)

0.000***

 Oromia

1.66

(1.036

2.644)

0.035

1.54

(0.89 2.63)

0.116

 SNNP

1.09

(0.679

1.748)

0.721

1.08

(0.60 1.93)

0.808

Random effect

Var (EA)

0.44

(0.27 0.69)