Infant and Young Child-Feeding Practices, Indicators and Index, and Role of Socio-economic Status

Abstract

The present cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the paediatric OPD of a government and a private clinic to assess the indicators of Infant-and Young Child-feeding (IYCF) practices and compare them among lower middle and upper middle socioeconomic groups. The study enrolled 200 mother-child pairs with children aged 18-36 months, classified using Modified Kuppuswamy scale into Lower Middle Socioeconomic Group (LMSEG) (score: 11-15) and Upper Middle Socioeconomic Group (UMSEG) (score:16-25). IYCF indicators formed the basis of the questionnaire used to interview the mothers. This calculated the children's dietary diversity score, meal frequency and IYCF index. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software (version 16.0) to determine the effect on socio-economic status on IYCF practices. P-value <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Only 52.5% (n=105) infant were exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life with significant difference between the two socioeconomic strata, with 64% (n=64) from LMSEG and 41% (n=41) from UMSEG (p=0.01). 67% (n=67) infants from LMSEG received breast milk till two years in contrast to 44% (n=44) infants from UMSEG (p=0.01). However, a higher frequency of food intake (p=0.03) and higher minimum dietary diversity score (p=0.012) was observed among UMSEG as compared to LMSEG. UMSEG mothers had greater prevalence of using bottles to feed their children as compared to LMSEG (n=51 vs n=27). Besides, it was found that educational qualification of the mothers had a positive impact on IYCF practices (p=0.015) but the mother's employment or the child's birth order had no significant effect. IYCF practices differed significantly among the two socioeconomic groups. LMSEG have better qualitative practices and UMSEG showed better quantitative factors. Health education as well as digital media may serve as important intervention programs to spread awareness to protect, promote and sustain optimal IYCF practices in Indian context.

Factors associated with dietary diversity and length‐for‐age z‐score in rural Ethiopian children aged 6–23 months: A novel approach to the analysis of baseline data from the Sustainable Undernutrition Reduction in Ethiopia evaluation

“…A study conducted in Ghana showed that as the number of food groups consumed by mother increased, so too did the number consumed by their children (Amugsi, Mittelmark, & Oduro, ). Low socio‐economic status has been identified as a risk factor for low child dietary diversity in a wide range of contexts (Karwa, Godhia, & Jadhav, ; Rakotonirainy et al, ) and associations with stunted growth are well‐established (Adekanmbi, Kayode, & Uthman, ; Devakumar et al, ; Leroy, Habicht, Gonzalez de Cossio, & Ruel, ; Poda, Hsu, & Chao, ). Similarly, land ownership was also an important protective factor for child feeding practices in this study and others (Devakumar et al, ; Hailemariam, Girmay, & Girmay, ), perhaps due to the central role of agriculture in ensuring food security via food provision and/or income.…”

Women’s Empowerment and Infant and Young Child Feeding Practice in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review

“…This review highlighted studies suggesting the indicator of women's empowerment which facilitate IYCF practices. These facilitators are as follows: 1) Resources, includes sense of leadership [39], well-educated [13], [30], [31], [37], [42], [43], [48], and land ownership [48]; 2) Agency, includes involvement in household decision making process [42], [48]; and 3) Achievement, includes women stands against domestic violence [41], high socioeconomic status [30], [31], [37], [38], [48], and employment [31]. This review identified the indicators of women's empowerment from the resources dimension, which related to the good practice of IYCF by mother.…”

“…At least, women should reach the finished secondary education level. As high as their level of education, their ability to perform a good IYCF practice is also increasing [13], [30], [31], [37], [42], [43], [48]. One study conducted in Ethiopia revealed that maternal land ownership had increased odds of dietary diversity score (DDS) among children 1.11 times [48].…”

“…One study from Ghana stated that the score of women's opinion about wife-beating legitimacy is positively related to children's dietary diversity score [41]. Several studies mentioned that women living in a high socioeconomic status household or higher monthly income rather than average were positively associated with the child's dietary diversity and acceptable diet [30], [31], [37], [38], [48]. Children from mothers living in the highest wealth index household were 5.11 times more likely to consume iron-rich food [38].…”