Colostrum avoidance and its associated factors among mothers of children under the age of six months in Sekota Zuria Woreda, Waghimra Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract Background Colostrum avoidance deprives infants of the essential nutrients and immune protection provided by colostrum, making them more susceptible to deadly infections such as sepsis, pneumonia, and diarrhea. Ethiopia has one of the regional even not so the global highest overall BF rate (95.5%). However, it falls short of meeting the standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for optimal breastfeeding. Objective This study aimed to assess colostrum avoidance and its associated factors among mothers of children under the age of six months in the Sekota Zuria Woreda of Waghimra Zone, Ethiopia, 2022. Method and materials: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted between June 26th and July 30th of 2022 in the Sekota Zuria Woreda of Waghimra Zone, Ethiopia. The study included four hundred twenty-one mothers of children under the age of six months, selected using a multistage sampling technique. Once written consent was obtained from all of the participants, a pretested and reliability-checked questionnaire was employed to interview and gather data for analysis. During analysis, descriptive statistics and logistic regression models were employed to summarize and explore the statistical association between the dependent and explanatory variables. In the bivariate logistic regression analysis, variables with a P-value of < 0.25 were exported to the multivariate logistic regression model for further analysis. Finally, using a P-value of < 0.05 as an indicator of statistical significance, the Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) at 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) was calculated. Result In this study, 19.0% (95% CI: (15.0–22.8)) of mothers avoided colostrum. In addition, mothers who did not receive Antenatal Care (ANC) [AOR = 2.94, (95% CI: 1.1–7.8)], gave birth at home [AOR = 4.64, (95% CI: 2.0-10.75)], lacked participation in the Women’s Health Developmental Army (WHDA) [AOR = 4.71, (95% CI: 1.95–11.4)], gave pre-lacteal feds [AOR = 2.97, (95% CI: 1.23–7.1)], had insufficient knowledge [AOR = 3.02, (95% CI: 1.2–7.6)], and negative attitude toward colostrum feeding [AOR = 6.5, (95% CI: 3.0-14.2)] were more likely to avoid colostrum. Conclusion Contrary to the WHO and UNICEF recommendations, in Sekota Zuria Woreda, a substantial number of mothers avoided colostrum.