Effect of Breastfeeding Education and Support Provided to Male Partners on Optimal Breastfeeding Practice in Ethiopia

Summary

Optimal breastfeeding practices are essential for child survival, growth, development, and for the health of mothers. Globally, optimal breastfeeding practices are still low and breastfeeding practices are not optimal in Ethiopia. Male partners have an important but often neglected role in the promotion of breastfeeding practices and currently, male partners are not targeted in breastfeeding education provided by health care providers. The effect of breastfeeding interventions delivered to male partners on optimal breastfeeding has not been studied in the Ethiopian context. It is important to investigate breastfeeding promotion education and support provided to male partners compared to the usual care effective in improving optimal breastfeeding practice in lactating mothers. Therefore, in this study cluster-randomized controlled trials will be conducted to evaluate the effect of breastfeeding education and support provided to male partners on optimal breastfeeding practice in Ethiopia.

Conditions

• Breastfeeding
• Breast Fed
• Breast Feeding, Exclusive
• Breastfed
• Breastfeeding, Exclusive

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Breastfeeding Education and Support

The trained village health workers will provide breastfeeding education and support for male partners and mothers in intervention group for the six month period. During intervention trained village health workers will cover antenatal breastfeeding education to raise knowledge, awareness, support, and counseling on benefits of optimal breastfeeding practices and involvement in supporting breastfeeding mothers once at third trimester pregnancy period; Specific take-home print materials will be developed that support optimal breastfeeding practices and will be given for both partners during third trimester pregnancy; Telephone call counselling will be held to the male partners on optimal breastfeeding practices and involvement in supporting breastfeeding mothers at second week and third month postpartum and there will be three home visits during 6th week, 3.5 month and 5th month.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Nestlé Foundation

  collaborator OTHER

• Jimma University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Mulatu A Anamo, MSc · Wachemo University

• Tefera B Lema, PhD · Jimma University

• Mubarek Abera, PhD · Jimma University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

15 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-07-14

Primary Completion

2023-10-25

Completion

2023-10-30

Countries

• Ethiopia

Study Locations