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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutritional Epidemiology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1516547
This article is part of the Research Topic The First 1000 Days: Window of Opportunity for Child Health and Development View all 12 articles

Trends and Determinants of Exclusive and Predominant Breastfeeding Practices for Two Decades (2000-2019) in Ethiopia

Provisionally accepted
Hailemariam Mamo Hassen (PhD) Hailemariam Mamo Hassen (PhD) *
  • College of Medicine and Health Science, Dire Dawa University, Dire Dawa, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Ethiopia has had a long-standing national commitment to improving child health. However, evidence on trends in breastfeeding has remained fragmented, and there is a paucity of information on the impacts of breastfeeding policy on breast feeding practices and associated factors influencing it. This study examined trends and determinants of exclusive and predominant breastfeeding in the last two decades.The study employed a retrospective observational design using Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys (EDHS2000-2019) dataset for children aged <6 months and their mothers. Data analyses were performed via SPSS version 25. Trend analysis and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used.Results: Exclusive and predominant breastfeeding practices have fluctuated inconsistently over the past two decades. Exclusive breastfeeding increased from 59.96% in 2000 to 66.01% in 2016 and then decreased to 59.86% in 2019. Predominant breastfeeding decreased from 40.04% in 2000 to 32.95% in 2016 and increased to 39.43% in 2019. Regional state, place of residence, and religion were significantly (p<0.001) associated with the likelihood of practicing exclusive or predominant breastfeeding.These inconsistent trends and the complex interplay of various factors suggest the limited success of previous policies and strategies and highlight the need for further investigation and revisiting current policies for a more nuanced and targeted approach in future interventions.

    Keywords: Exclusive breastfeeding, predominant breastfeeding, disparities, trend analysis, Ethiopia

    Received: 24 Oct 2024; Accepted: 06 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Hassen (PhD). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Hailemariam Mamo Hassen (PhD), College of Medicine and Health Science, Dire Dawa University, Dire Dawa, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.