Breastfeeding is crucial for infant health, but various factors can influence its optimal practices. Male partners play a significant yet often unrecognized role in supporting breastfeeding. Therefore, this study aims to assess the magnitude of male partner support in breast feeding practices and associated factors among mothers having less than a year of infant in Jimma Town, Southwest Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from August 1–September 5,2022, using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. A multistage sampling method selected 483 respondents for the quantitative analysis, while 12 fathers and 6 healthcare providers were purposively chosen for qualitative interviews. A structured questionnaire was used for quantitative and an interview guide for qualitative study. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23.0, with multivariate logistic regression identifying significant predictors (p < 0.05). The study revealed that 55.9% of male partners provided good breastfeeding support. Key factors associated with good support were among male partners who visited health facilities (AOR = 12.507), have more than one child (AOR = 1.822), social media users (AOR = 3.132), wives’ perceptions towards male partner support (AOR = 2.598), living in urban area (AOR = 2.370).Qualitative data revealed misconceptions about breastfeeding and insufficient counseling during antenatal care as barriers to male partner support. Over half of male partners provide good breastfeeding support, influenced by various factors. Targeted interventions focusing on education and counseling for male partners are recommended to enhance breastfeeding practices.
Firetsdk et al. (Sun,) studied this question.