BREAST-FEEDING TRAINING IMPROVES HEALTH WORKER PERFORMANCE IN RURAL NIGERIA

The training of health workers in breastfeeding and lactation manageme nt is to enable them make correct breastfeeding recommendations to mot hers. This study aims to provide answers to two research questions: wh at components of breastfeeding training are easily achieved with exten sion health workers, and what health worker variables affect these out comes, Multivariable analysis df the outcomes of a controlled breastfe eding training programme for community health workers (CHW) in rural c ommunities of Osun State, Nigeria, was performed by logistic regressio n, The results show that the training was the most powerful predictor of correct CHW recommendations on breastfeeding (OR=60.25,p-0,0000), a nd of 'perfect' breastfeeding knowledge (OR=192.49,p=0.0000). Younger CHWs (in the age bracket 20 to 29 years) were significantly more likel y to make correct recommendations on exclusive breastfeeding (OR=3.02, p=0.0304). Other CHW variables such as sex, experience, job status, an d marital status did not make consistently significant independent con tributions to the outcomes, The results suggest that breastfeeding edu cation can enhance CHW professional recommendations on breastfeeding a nd should be extended to all categories of health workers.