Predictors of Exclusive Breastfeeding among Mothers of Infants in Lesotho

Author/Creator

Author/Creator ORCID

Date

2019-01-01

Department

Sociology and Anthropology

Program

Sociology, Applied

Citation of Original Publication

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Abstract

Mother-to-child transmission of HIV continues to be a prevalent mode of transmission in southern Africa. This study examines the factors of exclusive breastfeeding of HIV-positive and negative mothers. Analyzing data from the Demographic and Health Survey in Lesotho (2014) of mothers of infants 6 months or younger, this study conducted correlation matrices, a t-test analysis, logistic regression and examined bi-variate relationships between exclusive breastfeeding and various predictor variables. Overall, the results showed minimal to no association between exclusive breastfeeding and the predictor variables. However, the cultural implications of mixed feeding and the burden current recommendations put on marginalized women shed light on a greater need for antiretroviral therapy adherence and support in southern Africa.