Levels and Predictors of Exclusive Breast Feeding Among Rural Mothers with Children Age 0-12 Months in Rural Kebeles of Chencha District, Snnpr, Gamo Gofa Zone, Ethiopia, January 2016

Back ground: Exclusive Breastfeeding has highest life-saving potential and about 13% of child deaths worldwide can be avoided with optimal breastfeeding. Worldwide 35% of infants breast-fed exclusively during the first four months of life even though 90% and above is recommended to benefit from the practice. Objective: To assess Levels and predictors of exclusive breast feeding among mothers with chil-dren 0-12 months in rural Chencha district. Method and materials: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted. Data was col-lected by using designed well-structured questionnaire and entered into Epi-Data version 3.1 and analyzed by using SPSS window version 20. Bivariate logistic regression was performed to each independent variable with the outcome variable and variables with a p value < 0.05 were used for multivariate analysis. P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result: Two hundred twenty six mothers with babies 0-12 months old were included in this study. The mean age of study participants was 29.1 ？± (5.987) years. Mothers ANC follow-up ex-perience was 130(57.5%). The prevalence of exclusive breast feeding was 92(40.7%) and 144 (63.7%) had good knowledge. Maternal Age 15-24 yrs [AOR=12.02 (1.153, 25.180)]; Family size of 3 were [AOR=2.027 (0.246, 1.715)], Non-Attendance to ANC service [AOR=0.037 (0.005, 0.256)]; Good knowledge [AOR=1.288 (0.038, 5.393)] and exposure to advice concern-ing breast feeding [AOR=1.277 (0.677, 2.410)] were independent predictors of exclusive breast feeding practice Conclusion and recommendation: In this study Practice of exclusive breastfeeding was below the world health organization recommendation which is 90% or above. Hence it is important to focus interventions towards these factors in order to increase exclusive breastfeeding Practice