Breastfeeding support among healthcare workers in Nigeria

Background The exclusive breastfeeding rate in Sub-Saharan Africa is abysmally low, and based on current trends, achieving the World Health Organization's (WHO) global nutrition goal of a 50% exclusive breastfeeding rate by 2025 will require an additional three decades. Methods This is a cross-sectional study involving healthcare workers (HCWs) providing direct care to breastfeeding mothers in six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. HCWs were recruited using a stratified random sampling method, with a minimum sample size of 1537. Data was collected through validated-interviewer-administered-questionnaires. Results The mean age of the 1294 respondents was 35.2 ± 10.0 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:3. Overall, breastfeeding knowledge was subsufficient (41.2% across three domains), with specific knowledge gaps observed in breastfeeding for mothers with breast cancer (13.4%) and hepatitis B (59.4%). Only 18.9% correctly identified laid-back and cross-cradle breastfeeding positions. High school and tertiary education were significantly associated with sufficient breastfeeding knowledge (AOR: 2.2, 95% CI 1.299–3.738; AOR: 2.0, 95% CI 1.234–3.205). Negative attitudes toward breastfeeding support were associated with being female (AOR: 1.5, 95% CI 1.094–1.957), while being a doctor was linked to the lowest instructional support (AOR: 0.3, 95% CI 0.118–0.661). Positive attitudes toward breastfeeding support were significantly associated with sufficient knowledge (AOR: 2.4, 95% CI 1.833–3.161; p