(P02-002-25) Infant Feeding Decision-Making Control of Working Mothers in Urban Nigeria

Objectives: Prior studies in Nigeria have described working mothers’ feeding practices, but the decision-making control of mothers on the feeding decisions of their children is not well understood. This study aimed to understand how much control urban working mothers have for decisions about feeding their infants and the extent of involvement of social networks in these decisions in Ibadan city, South-West Nigeria.

Methods: Data were collected from August to December 2024 from a purposive sample of 42 mothers, using a qualitative semi-structured in-depth interview guide to understand infant feeding decisions and the individuals involved in these decisions. Mothers were eligible to participate in the study if they were at least 18 years old, had an infant under nine months old, resided in the city of Ibadan, and were employed by government or private organizations. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was conducted using NVivo version 12.

Results: Four patterns were observed regarding mothers’ infant-feeding decision control: sole (N=22), mutual (N=12), reinforced (N=7), and relinquished (N=1). For sole control, mothers were the only decision-makers for infant feeding decisions. They could choose whether to yield to other people’s advice in making feeding decisions. For mutual control, decisions were made jointly by mothers and their husbands, in most cases. Both parties had about equal decision-making control over infant-feeding decisions. For reinforced control, mothers made the decisions, and received the support of their social networks, mostly husbands. Mothers and/or their husbands then justified their decisions to extended family members with differing opinions, thereby preventing forced changes in feeding decisions. Relinquished control occurred when a mother was coerced to yield her decision control to the preferences of extended family members. Repeated backlash and pressure from extended family members eventually overrode mother’s decision control.

Conclusions: Most mothers could exercise sole or mutual control over infant-feeding decisions. Family members play important roles in reinforcing or opposing mothers’ infant-feeding decisions.

Funding Sources: Nestlé Foundation, Lausanne, Switzerland