Predictors of cessation of exclusive breastfeeding according to the Cox regression model: survey of mothers of children aged 6-12 months, Thiès, Senegal.

Introduction: even though exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for up to six months is recognised as essential infant care, it is still insufficiently practiced. The objective of this study was to identify predictors of EBF cessation in Thiès.

Methods: this was a survival analysis of data collected using a cross-sectional procedure. Data collection took place from 2 December 2019 to 21 January 2020. The study population consisted of mothers of children aged 6 to 12 months residing in Thiès and seen at the reference health centre of the Thiès Health District during infant vaccination sessions. The number of subjects was 400 mothers recruited using a systematic survey, with a sampling interval equal to two. Data were collected through a face-to-face interview. Predictive factors were identified using the Cox regression model. The adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) and its 95% confidence interval (95% CI) are calculated.

Results: the average age of the mothers was 27.08 ± 6.34 years. The proportion of mothers who breastfed their child within one hour of birth was 29.25%. The proportion of those who practiced EBF was 41.50%. The incidence density of EBF cessation was 14 person-months per 100 breastfeeding mothers. The median duration of EBF was 5 months. Lack of advice on EBF during antenatal care (AHR=1.42; 95% CI =1.08-1.85), sources of information other than health professionals (AHR =1.51; 95% CI =1.05-2.19), late initiation of EBF, i.e. breastfeeding beyond 24 hours after birth (AHR =1.53; 95% CI =1.02-2.28) and low level of knowledge about EBF (AHR =1.46; 95% CI =1.11-1.92) were significantly associated with early termination of EBF.

Conclusion: the promotion of EBF for up to six months will necessarily involve the promotion of prenatal consultations during which professionals should raise awareness among future mothers.