Breastfeeding and Abstinence among Hausa Women

Abstract

Reports results of an open-ended questionnaire among a random sample of married Hausa women of low to middle socioeconomic status in extreme northern Nigeria. Mean duration of breastfeeding (18.6 months) is found to be higher than observed among Ibo women and lower than among the Yoruba. The data show an inverse relationship between level of education and duration of breastfeeding. Women with primary/secondary education and of younger ages practiced postpartum abstinence for shorter periods than other Hausa women. The most prominent reason for abstaining was to ensure the health of mother and child.