Abstract

PIP: In Indonesia, nearly all women begin breastfeeding (BF); less than 4% of children are not breast fed. The median duration of BF is 17.3 months in urban areas, and 23.1 months in rural areas. An analysis of factors influencing the start and length of BF, based on data from the National Indonesia Contraceptive Prevalence Survey, reveals the importance of practices surrounding a traditional delivery on the continuation of BF. In Java, Bali, and Outer Islands I, women who deliver attended by a traditional birth attendant or who deliver at home are more likely to continue BF than women having a more "modern" delivery. Children born to a woman of higher age or parity are more likely to continue to be breast fed into the 2nd year. Factors measuring economic status and educational levels of parents are also inversely related to duration, but effects are less consistent across areas. Even though BF is widespread, and lasts a long time, the benefits of reduced morbidity and mortality, and delayed fertility that could be gained from BF, are probably diminished owing to practices of early feeding of children. The 1987 National Indonesia Contraceptive Prevalence Survey is a 5-year follow-up to the 1976 World Fertility Survey and the 1983 Contraceptive Prevalence Study. The survey covered 20 provinces out of the 27 in Indonesia, excluding less than 7% of the total population. 2 questionnaires were used; household, and individual questionnaires. The impact of 12 independent variables on the start and length of BF is analyzed. 1) household economic level; 2) language; 3) place of delivery; 4) type of birth attendant; 5) mother's education; 6) mother's occupational experience; 7) spouse's education; 8) spouse's occupation; 9) mother's age at the time of birth; 10) parity; 11) child's sex; and 12) "wantedness" of pregnancy. Over 85% of urban children are born into high socioeconomic level households compared to 50% in rural areas. 35 to 40% of urban mothers and nearly 50% or more of urban spouses finish junior high school or a higher educational level. Approximately 10% of mothers and 20% of spouses in rural areas finish a junior high school educational level. Use of the national language (as opposed to local languages) is more frequent in urban areas. Nearly all infants born in the country are breast fed.