Exclusive Breastfeeding, Knowledge, Attitude, and Intention of Single Young Females (15-30years) in Some Public Tertiary Institutions Inlagos State; a Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

Background : Lagos state is the smallest state in Nigeria, yet it has the highest population which is over 21million and a growth rate of 3.2%, with about 53% less than 25years old. Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding according to UNICEF was said to be 29% in 2012. Infants are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition and infectious diseases, many of which can be effectively prevented or treated through adequate nutrition during infancy. Exclusively breastfeeding for the first six months of life has been shown to achieve optimal growth, development and conferment of essential immunity. Methods : The sample population size was deduced using Cochran’s formula, and amultistage sampling technique was used to select the study group. Descriptive statistics wereused to analyze demographic data. Result : Most respondents were between 19-22years old 45.1%, 29.8% are 15-18years old, 16.6% and 7.8% are 23-26 and 27-30years old respectively. There was good knowledge 91.0% about exclusive breastfeeding, especially within the 19-22 age group. The relationship between age and knowledge is statistically significant (P = 0.065). The attitude was poor 58.0% towards exclusive breastfeeding, especially among the 19-22 age group, the relation between age and attitude towards exclusive breastfeeding is statistically significant (P=0.029) Considering the educational caliber of the respondent, the intention to express breastmilk43.0% was below average. There is a strong intention to exclusively breastfeed, with 63.0% indicating strong intention to exclusively breastfeed. Age is statistically significant (P=0.001) to Intention to Exclusive breastfeeding. The odds that the respondents have good intentions to breast feed is given as 0.67 (67%), this shows that intention has lower odds of positive child health. The probability of intention to affect Child health outcome is 0.70 (70%), and the risk difference (estimated difference in theprobability to experience) is 3.9%. Conclusion : Young females should be targets of proactive education for better mother-childhealth. This research has shown the need for adequate bridge between knowledge, attitude towards, and intention to exclusively breastfeed. The decisions are often made long before amother becomes pregnant, with the decision most often than not made based on knowledge acquired at a young age.