International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health | August 2023 | Vol 10 | Issue 8 Page 2684 International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health Comfort OO et al. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2023 Aug;10(8):2684-2692 http://www.ijcmph.com pISSN 2394-6032 | eISSN 2394-6040 Original Research Article A comparative study of exclusive breastfeeding between mothers of formal and informal sector workers in Ede north local government area, Osun State Nigeria Odewale O. Comfort 1 , Oyovwi M. Obukohwo 2 *, Jesutomi E. Oladapo 1 , Omishakin M. Ademola 1 , Gregory Uchechukwu Joseph 3 , Elebiju O. Juliana 1 , Falajiki Y. Faith 2 , Oluwakemi Edet-Utan 4 INTRODUCTION Breastfeeding benefits for newborns and infants are well- documented. 1 Breastfeeding provides infants with superior nutritional content that is capable of improving infant immunity and possible reduction in future health care spending. 2,3 The WHO as well as UNICEF called for policies that would cultivate a breastfeeding culture that encourages women to breastfeed their children exclusively for the first 6 months of life and then up to 2 years of age and beyond. 4 However, based on the WHO global data on infant and young child feeding in Nigeria, 13-36% of children were exclusively breastfed for less ABSTRACT Background: Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is helpful in reducing infant morbidity and mortality throughout the first six months of life. However, despite aggressive marketing, just 13-36% of Nigeria infants under 6 months old are exclusively breastfed. Hence, this study was aimed to assess the knowledge, practice and factors affecting exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) among informal and formal sector workers in Ede north local government, Osun State. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted with 285 respondents from formal and informal sector workers with child(ren) aged 0-24 months. Results: Results showed a significant difference in knowledge and practice of exclusive breastfeeding between formal and informal sector workers. Factors affecting exclusive breastfeeding include lactation, job hindrances, and crèche availability. The practice of EBF was low among mothers in the formal sector, and the factors impacting its practice reported in this study may have substantial implications for breastfeeding intervention programs. Conclusions: As a result, attempts to promote EBF should target specific populations of informal sector women and areas where it is underutilized. Moreover, mothers must be supported. Furthermore, mothers should be encouraged to attend antenatal care where they will learn about the benefits of exclusive nursing to children under the age of six months, allowing them to make informed decisions on exclusive breastfeeding. The Nigerian government should ensure that the employment act’s maternity leave benefits are implemented in the informal sector, allowing women to practice EBF. Keywords: Exclusive breastfeeding, Formal and informal sector worker, Knowledge, Practices 1 Department of Public Health, Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria 2 Department of Physiology, Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria 3 Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria 4 California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations, San Diego Received: 14 April 2023 Revised: 20 May 2023 Accepted: 22 May 2023 *Correspondence: Dr. Oyovwi M. Obukohwo, E-mail: megalect@gmail.com, oyovwi.obukohwo@adelekeuniversity.edu.ng Copyright: © the author(s), publisher and licensee Medip Academy. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20232353