Assessment of Knowledge and Attitude on Exclusive Breastfeeding Practices among Mothers in Ibadan North Local Government Area

Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is vital for infant health, yet its practice remains suboptimalin many settings. This study examined the knowledge, attitudes, practices, and theinfluence of spousal support on EBF among mothers in Ibadan North, Oyo State, Nigeria.A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 406 breastfeeding mothers aged15-49 with infants aged 0-6 months, recruited from three Primary Healthcare Centers. Datawere collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed with SPSS version 21,employing descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, logistic regression, and multipleregression analysis. Awareness of EBF was high (93.8%), largely influenced by healthcareproviders (66.7%). Positive attitudes toward EBF were reported by 73.2% of mothers,though adherence was lower (64.3%), hindered by barriers such as cultural beliefs (24.4%)and public discomfort (33.6%). Spousal support was underutilized; only 40.1% of mothersreceived support, predominantly financial (52.2%), while emotional support was leastavailable (71.4% lacked it). Socio-demographic factors such as age (p = 0.001), maritalstatus (p = 0.000), education (p = 0.003), and income (p = 0.001) were significantlyassociated with attitudes and knowledge. Logistic regression revealed that knowledge (OR= 3.338, p = 0.000) and attitudes (OR = 2.237, p = 0.000) significantly influenced EBF,while practices did not. Attitudes (p = 0.008) and spousal support (p = 0.050) wereidentified as significant predictors of EBF outcomes. Enhancing EBF rates requires spousalinvolvement, culturally sensitive public health campaigns, and stronger community andworkplace support systems. Future studies should explore the impact of different spousalsupport types and digital media on breastfeeding practices.