Abstract:
Back ground: World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF) recommend that all mothers should breastfeed their children exclusively for
the first 6 months; however a report in Ethiopia revealed that only one in three Ethiopian
children age 4-5 months is exclusively breastfed. This study seeks to identify some of the
modifiable factors which affects pregnant women’s prenatal intention to exclusively
breast feed their child by using the theory of planned behavior mode components.
Objectives: To assess exclusive breast feeding intention among pregnant women who
were seeking ANC service and factors affecting their decision for exclusive breasts
feeding.
Methods: cross-sectional study design was utilized on pregnant women who were
seeking ANC services in governmental health institutions in Dire - Dawa town from
February 13 – march 13/2010. Face to face interview between trained nurse and the client
were employed to collect data.
Result: majority (78.3%) of pregnant women had behavioral intention to exclusively
breast feeding. The three components of TPB explained 28.7% of the variance in
mothers’ behavioral intentions to exclusively breast feeding. Pregnant women’s
Attitude was found to be the most significantly important factor in the prediction
(22.2%). subjective norm and perceived behavioral control explained only 4.5% and
2.5% of the variance respectively. Past breast feeding experience and smoking habit
were Factors external to the components of TPB made significant contributions to the
prediction of mother’s behavioral intentions.
Conclusion: Attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control did prove to be
predictors of intention in this sample of pregnant women. Which indicate that the
possible utility of theory of planned behavioral to promote exclusive breast feeding
behavior.
