Assessment of exclusive breastfeeding practices in a tribal district of Maharashtra: A cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT: As the WHO puts it, breastfeeding is the cornerstone of child survival, nutrition, development, and maternal health. According to NFHS data of India, only 71.2% of children under six months are exclusively breastfed in Maharashtra. The problem may be more prevalent in tribal communities due to their geographical location and strong cultural norms. This community-based cross-sectional observational study was conducted among consenting mothers of the Scheduled Tribe category with children aged six months to one year residing in the area under the Primary Health Center in a tribal village. A list of mothers fulfilling inclusion criteria was obtained from seven subcentres, and participants were selected by random sampling from each. Data was obtained by a structured interview schedule. Descriptive analysis estimated the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), and the association between qualitative variables was assessed by the Chi-square test. Multivariate logistic regression was applied to determine the predictors of EBF, using the software SPSS-28. A P value of ≤ 0.05 was used as the cut-off for statistical significance. Prevalence of EBF was 63.4%. Factors like age, education, occupation of mother, maternal education, place of delivery, practice of colostrum feeding, are statistically significantly associated with the practice of EBF. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that the age of the mother and the education of the father are determinants of EBF. The prevalence of EBF in the study area is lower than the state prevalence, highlighting the need for focused intervention. Furthermore, EBF practices are influenced by a mix of social, cultural, and economic factors.