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. 2013 Apr;16(4):659-72.
doi: 10.1017/S1368980012002935. Epub 2012 Jul 4.

Determinants of suboptimal breast-feeding practices in Pakistan

Tabish Hazir  1 , Dure-Samin Akram, Yasir Bin Nisar, Narjis Kazmi, Kingsley E Agho, Saleem Abbasi, Amira M Khan, Michael J Dibley
Affiliations

Determinants of suboptimal breast-feeding practices in Pakistan

Tabish Hazir et al. Public Health Nutr. 2013 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: Exclusive breast-feeding is estimated to reduce infant mortality in low-income countries by up to 13 %. The aim of the present study was to determine the risk factors associated with suboptimal breast-feeding practices in Pakistan.

Design: A cross-sectional study using data extracted from the multistage cluster sample survey of the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2006-2007.

Setting: A nationally representative sample of households.

Subjects: Last-born alive children aged 0-23 months (total weighted sample size 3103).

Results: The prevalences of timely initiation of breast-feeding, bottle-feeding in children aged 0-23 months, exclusive breast-feeding and predominant breast-feeding in infants aged 0-5 months were 27·3 %, 32·1 %, 37·1 % and 18·7 %, respectively. Multivariate analysis indicated that working mothers (OR = 1·48, 95 % CI 1·16, 1·87; P = 0·001) and mothers who delivered by Caesarean section (OR = 1·95, 95 % CI 1·30, 2·90; P = 0·001) had significantly higher odds for no timely initiation of breast-feeding. Mothers from North West Frontier Province were significantly less likely (OR = 0·37, 95 % CI 0·23, 0·59; P < 0·001) not to breast-feed their babies exclusively. Mothers delivered by traditional birth attendants had significantly higher odds to predominantly breast-feed their babies (OR = 1·96, 95 % CI 1·18, 3·24; P = 0·009). The odds of being bottle-fed was significantly higher in infants whose mothers had four or more antenatal clinic visits (OR = 1·93, 95 % CI 1·46, 2·55; P < 0·001) and belonged to the richest wealth quintile (OR = 2·41, 95 % CI 1·62, 3·58; P < 0·001).

Conclusions: The majority of Pakistani mothers have suboptimal breast-feeding practices. To gain the full benefits of breast-feeding for child health and nutrition, there is an urgent need to develop interventions to improve the rates of exclusive breast-feeding.

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Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
Rates of exclusive breast-feeding ( formula image ) and predominant breast-feeding ( formula image ) according to child's age; secondary analysis of data from the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS) 2006–2007
Fig 2
Fig 2
Distribution of children by breast-feeding (BF) status ( formula image , exclusive BF; formula image , BF+water; formula image , BF+liquids/juice; formula image , BF+other milk; formula image , BF+complementary foods; formula image , no BF) according to child's age; secondary analysis of data from the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS) 2006–2007
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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