Abstract

MUCHACHA, Munyaradzi  and  MTHETWA, Edmos. Beyond the bio-medical orthodoxies: Socio-economic and attitudinal impediments to exclusive breast feeding in rural Zimbabwe and possible roles of social workers and interventions to promote its uptake. Social work (Stellenbosch. Online) [online]. 2015, vol.51, n.1, pp.63-79. ISSN 2312-7198.  http://dx.doi.org/51-1-428.

Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) which is one of the major remedies to infant and child mortality, is largely underutilised especially in rural Zimbabwe. EBF is a physiological process which transpires in a specific socio- economic milieu, to that end this paper labours to investigate the socio- economic factors militating against its uptake. Using the mixed methodology the paper reveals that issues such as poverty-gender inequalities, social and cultural beliefs are critical obstacles against EBF infant feeding practice. It is within the context of these socio-economic barriers this paper argues that social workers have a key role in facilitating EBF.

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