141st APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

291013
Breastfeeding among HIV-infected women in gaborone, Botswana: A cross-sectional survey


Monday, November 4, 2013 : 8:30 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.

Justina Ndubuka, DVM, MPH, Gateway Veterinary Services, Melfort, Saskatchewan, SK, Canada
Ying Li, PhD, Division of Health Promotion Sciences, University of Arizona, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, AZ
Caitlin M. Marshall, Division of Health Promotion Sciences, University of Arizona, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, AZ
John Ehiri, PhD, MPH, MSc (Econ.), Division of Health Promotion Sciences, University of Arizona, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, AZ
Objectives: To assess knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding infant feeding among HIV positive pregnant women in Gaborone, Botswana and factors that influence their infant feeding choices.

Methods: Prospective cross-sectional questionnaire survey of 96 HIV positive pregnant women aged 21-42 years in four clinics in Gaborone, Botswana.

Results: Only about half of the women had Knowledge about PMTCT services during breastfeeding, and very few (19.8%) chose to exclusively breastfeed their babies. Results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that counseling in infant feeding practices was significantly associated with knowledge about PMTCT during breastfeeding [OR(95%CI): 0.267(0.090, 0.791) and with decision to exclusively breastfeed [OR(95%CI):0.099 (0.012,0.781)].

Conclusion: Knowledge, attitudes and practices related to breastfeeding among HIV-infected women need further improvement, and PMTCT services should incorporate strong nutrition counseling to assist HIV positive mothers in making appropriate decisions regarding infant feeding.

Learning Areas:

Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Program planning
Public health biology
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Discuss key challenges for infant feeding by HIV infected mothers in low income countries. Identify determinants factors that influence infant feeding practices of HIV infected mothers. Analyzed implications for maternal and child health promotion in the context of HIV/AIDS care.

Keyword(s): HIV/AIDS, Child Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Dr. Li has a Master’s degree in epidemiology and statistics from Chongqing Medical University School of Public Health (2006) and a PhD from Third Military Medical University, China (2011). She completed training on qualitative research at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), England in 2004 and continues to collaborate with researchers at LSTM and other institutions in the UK. Her research interests and publications are in evidence-based public health, health behavior, and social medicine.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3045.0: HIV/AIDS 1