| dc.description.abstract | Health professionals currently use fact-based approach to promote breastfeeding behavior in
Kenya. This practice imposes messages to breastfeeding mothers without considering their
opinions and beliefs thus posing a challenge to the Ministry of Health. In Kakamega Central
district 30.7% of mothers initiate breastfeeding within the 1st hour of birth,' 2'1.7% exclusively
breastfeed for six months and 27.S% continue breastfeeding to the l" year; where these
prevalence fall short of the national goal and desired target of achieving the fourth Millennium
Development Goal aimed at reducing the under five mortality rates by 20 IS. This study was
conducted to determine the predictive power of maternal attitude, subjective norm and perceived
behavioral control on breastfeeding intention of mothers in Kakamega Central District using a
modified Theory of Planned Behavior. A sequential exploratory mixed methods design was
employed to execute the study. In this design qualitative study was initially conducted then
followed by a qualitative study. Purposive sampling was used to select three postnatal clinics and
one home based clinic from a total of 10 clinics in Kakamega Central District. Proportionate
stratified sampling was used to select 230 respondents out of 3,873 breastfeeding mothers aged
between 18-40 years. Qualitative data was collected using a Focus Group Discussion guide and
analyzed using Constant Comparative Approach in grounded theory analysis. A structured
questionnaire was used to collect Quantitative data where' Exploratory Factor Analysis was
applied to test for the dimensionality of the questions. Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used to
assess whether proposed constructs influenced measured variables. Skewness and kurtosis tests
were used to assess the normality of data obtained. Structural Equation Modeling was used to
show and determine the relationships between Latent and Observed variables. Findings indicated
that the model fitted the data acceptably well within breastfeeding behavior. The predictive
power indicated maternal attitude to a better predictor of breastfeeding intention (~=0.38,
p<O.OI, n=230); followed by perceived behavioural control (~=0.3S, p<O.OI, n=230); then
subjective norm (~=0.2S, p<O.OS, n=230). Intention in turn strongly predicted breastfeeding
behaviour (~=O.9S, p<O.OO1, n=230) and its predictors accounted for 68% of the variance on
breastfeeding intention. Findings of this research has provided information on the best approach
to be employed by health professionals in promoting optimal breastfeeding through model based
educational sessions that will in the long run increase initiation, exclusivity and breastfeeding
continuation rates in Kakamega Central District. | en_US |
