A multilevel model for the study of breastfeeding determinants in Brazil

[Economic, social, and health determinants that influence exclusive breastfeeding in Colombia]

Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is an important practice that offers many benefits, such as nutritional support, prevention of infectious and chronic diseases, and assistance in psychosocial and cognitive development. This study aims to identify the determinants associated with EBF abandonment in 1,527 children under six months of age, based on information collected by the Colombian National Survey of Nutritional Status and the Colombian National Demographic and Health Survey, 2010. This is an observational cross-sectional cohort study, in which a hierarchical Poisson regression model with robust variance was applied; considering in the first level the factors associated with the mother and child and, in the second level, the information of 32 departments and Bogotá. We noticed a high rate abandonment of EBF (57.6%) and its variation between departments. The factors associated with a longer time of EBF were higher maternal schooling level, having a partner, knowledge in breastfeeding, belonging to a lower level of income, living in the eastern region, having delivery assisted by qualified team, and low birth weight. According to the variance partition coefficient (VPC), 3.2% of the probability of abandonment of EBF may be related to factors within the departmental scope. The median odds ratio (MOR) indicates that the individual risk of abandoning EBF of a child would increase by 47% if the child moved from a department with a low prevalence of abandonment to a department with high prevalence. This study allows a better understanding of the abandonment of EBF from its determinants, providing evidence to implement more effective interventions for child nutrition.

Expectation of parental control and the maintenance of bottle-feeding in childhood

OBJECTIVE

To investigate association between parental locus of control (belief of individuals about what or who has control of the events of their lives) and bottle feeding habits among children from 3 to 5 years of age.

METHODOLOGY

Parental locus of control validated in Brazil, and semi-structured questionnaire to obtain sociodemographic, health, and oral habit behaviors was applied to mothers of 992 preschool children. Outcome variable "use of feeding bottle" was studied according to the time of its use (≤36 months and >36 months). Simple logistic regression models were adjusted and raw odds ratios were estimated for variables of distal blocks, which contemplated parental locus of control, socioeconomic characteristics of family, and maternal habits. In the intermediate block, the variables for conditions of the child's birth and place of health care attendance during the prenatal period and early childhood were included. In the proximal block, the time of breastfeeding and pacifier use were reported. Variables were analyzed from the distal to the proximal block, and the individual analyses that presented p≤0.20 remained in each model; included in the subsequent block were the variables with p≤0.10, because this was a study of prevention.

RESULTS

Longer time of feeding bottle use was associated with the internal parental locus of control, mothers older than 31 years of age, white race, premature children, who used pacifiers and are treated in the private health system.

CONCLUSIONS

Children who maintained the habit of feeding bottle use for a longer time were those whose mother presented an internal locus of control.

Determinants of fruits, vegetables, and ultra-processed foods consumption among infants

The objective was to evaluate the influence of individual and contextual determinants on infant's consumption of fruits and vegetables (FV), and ultra-processed foods (UPF). The data was obtained from the Survey of Prevalence of Breastfeeding in Brazilian Municipalities, 2008. A representative sample of 14,326 infants 6-11.9 months old, from seventy-five municipalities of São Paulo state was evaluated. The influence of determinants on FV and UPF consumption was analyzed using Poisson multilevel regression. Mother's educational level and maternal age had positive dose-response effect for the consumption of FV (p trend < 0.001) and negative for UPF (p trend < 0.001). Infants of multiparous women and those who received outpatient care in public medical system showed lower prevalence of FV (p < 0.001 for both) and higher prevalence of UPF (respectively, p < 0.001 and p = 0.001). Moreover, the contextual variable related to population size indicated that the prevalence of consumption of FV decreased (p < 0.001) and UPF increased (p = 0.081) with decreased population size. Therefore, infants born to women with low education levels, who received outpatient care in the public health network, and who reside in small municipalities should be prioritized for educational programs related to feeding practices.

Intergenerational breastfeeding practices among parents and children: 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) birth cohort

The objective of this study was to investigate intergenerational breastfeeding practices according to parental sex and age at delivery in the 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) birth cohort study. This is a prospective birth cohort study, and at the 22‐year follow‐up, a substudy with all children of the cohort members who had become parents was conducted (93Cohort‐II). First generation breastfeeding data were collected at 3 months and 4‐year‐old follow‐ups. In the 93Cohort‐II, parents answered a questionnaire about their children's breastfeeding practices. Adjusted Tobit and Poisson regression models with robust variance were applied to estimate the association between predominant parental breastfeeding duration and exclusive breastfeeding duration of the children at 3 and 6 months. Out of 3,810 cohort participants, 955 (25%) had delivered at least one live‐born infant, and 1,222 children were assessed. Fifty‐four percent of parents were ≤19 years old. Direct effects of predominant parental breastfeeding duration on exclusive breastfeeding duration of their children were only observed when data were stratified by parental age: children born to parents aged ≥20 years old and who were predominantly breastfed for at least 3 months presented higher exclusive breastfeeding duration and higher prevalence of being exclusively breastfed for at least 3 months. When analyses were stratified by mothers and fathers, the result remained significant only among mothers. Longer predominant breastfeeding duration in the first generation was associated with longer exclusive breastfeeding duration in the second generation, but only among older mothers. Education and social support surrounding breastfeeding should be intensified among fathers and younger parents to create a positive environment supportive of breastfeeding.

Weaning practices of mothers in eastern Turkey

OBJECTIVE

The study aimed to determine the practices used by breastfeeding mothers to wean their children from the breast.

METHOD

This qualitative-quantitative research was conducted with mothers whose children were registered the pediatric clinics of a state hospital between June and September 2016. In accordance with a purposeful sampling method, 232 mothers of children between the ages of 2 and 5 years were included in the study. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a questionnaire with demographic characteristics of mothers as well as their weaning practices. The data obtained were analyzed with a computer-assisted program using number and percentage distributions.

RESULTS

The mean breastfeeding duration was 19.00±7.11 months. It was determined that the majority of mothers (56.5%) used traditional methods for weaning their children. These included applying substances with a bad taste (58.1%) to their breasts, covering their breasts with various materials (26.2%) to make the child not want to nurse anymore, and using a pacifier or feeding bottle (9.2%) to substitute for the mother's breast.

CONCLUSIONS

It was observed that more than half of the mothers were used some traditional practices that could cause trauma in their children, instead of natural weaning.

Factors Associated with Age at Breastfeeding Cessation in Amazonian Infants: Applying a Proximal-Distal Framework

Introduction Breastfeeding is an important determinant of child survival and normal growth and development, but breastfeeding prevalence is generally low in Brazil. Factors associated with infant feeding practices there are not well understood. This paper examines factors associated with breastfeeding cessation in a township in the western Brazilian Amazon. Methods A cross-sectional, population-based study was conducted among children younger than 25 months and collected information on maternal and child characteristics. Survival analysis based on a proximal-distal framework examined the association between breastfeeding duration and socioeconomic and maternal/child biological factors. Results The median breastfeeding duration among 101 children who were no longer breastfeeding was 120 days. Almost two-thirds (63 %) of these children stopped breastfeeding before 6 months of age. In the larger sample of 209 children, 74.6 % had previously been bottle-fed. Considering the full proximal-distal model, a child who had ever been bottle-fed was expected to cease breastfeeding about 88 % sooner than one who was never bottle-fed (p < 0.001). Children in the second-poorest wealth quartile stopped breastfeeding sooner than children in the poorest quartile (p < 0.05). Discussion Breastfeeding cessation in the study area occurred much earlier than the recommended 2 years of age. Factors associated with ending breastfeeding early included ever-use of a bottle, having a single mother, and belonging to the second-poorest wealth quartile. Further research is needed to better understand these factors and other barriers women face to continuing breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding policy: a globally comparative analysis

OBJECTIVE

To explore the extent to which national policies guaranteeing breastfeeding breaks to working women may facilitate breastfeeding.

METHODS

An analysis was conducted of the number of countries that guarantee breastfeeding breaks, the daily number of hours guaranteed, and the duration of guarantees. To obtain current, detailed information on national policies, original legislation as well as secondary sources on 182 of the 193 Member States of the United Nations were examined. Regression analyses were conducted to test the association between national policy and rates of exclusive breastfeeding while controlling for national income level, level of urbanization, female percentage of the labour force and female literacy rate.

FINDINGS

Breastfeeding breaks with pay are guaranteed in 130 countries (71%) and unpaid breaks are guaranteed in seven (4%). No policy on breastfeeding breaks exists in 45 countries (25%). In multivariate models, the guarantee of paid breastfeeding breaks for at least 6 months was associated with an increase of 8.86 percentage points in the rate of exclusive breastfeeding (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

A greater percentage of women practise exclusive breastfeeding in countries where laws guarantee breastfeeding breaks at work. If these findings are confirmed in longitudinal studies, health outcomes could be improved by passing legislation on breastfeeding breaks in countries that do not yet ensure the right to breastfeed.

Factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding practices among mothers in Goba district, south east Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Background

Exclusive breastfeeding is defined as feeding infants only breast milk, be it directly from breast or expressed, with no addition of any liquid or solids apart from drops or syrups consisting of vitamins, mineral supplements or medicine, and nothing else. Several studies have shown that exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months plays a great role in preventing morbidity and mortality. However, in Ethiopia a large portion of infants are not exclusively breastfed according to the infant feeding recommendations. Understanding the factors that influence exclusive breastfeeding is crucial to promoting the practice. This study was carried out to identify factors predicting exclusive breastfeeding among mothers in Bale Goba district, south east Ethiopia.

Methods

A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March to February 2010 involving both quantitative and qualitative data. A total of 608 mothers were selected randomly. A convenience sampling technique was used to generate the qualitative data. The qualitative data were analyzed using thematic frameworks. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of exclusive breastfeeding after controlling for background variables.

Results

The prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding in the last 24 hours preceding the survey was 71.3%. The median duration of exclusive breastfeeding was three months and mean frequency of breastfeeding was six times per day. Being unemployed [AOR: 10.4 (95% CI: 1.51, 71.50)] and age of infants of less than two months [AOR: 5.6 (95% CI: 2.28, 13.60)] were independently associated with exclusive breastfeeding.

Conclusions

A large proportion of infants are not exclusively breastfed during the first 6 months, despite what is recommended in the national and global infant and young child feeding (IYCF) guidelines. Employed mothers were less likely to practice exclusive breastfeeding, implying the need for promoting workplace breastfeeding practices and creating an enabling environment for exclusive breastfeeding. Extensions of maternity leave up to the first six month of child’s age to achieve optimal level of exclusive breastfeeding practices should also be looked into as an alternative solution.