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Effects of sociodemographic factors on adherence to breastfeeding and other important infant dietary recommendations
Author(s) -
Gudnadottir Maria,
Sigurdur Gunnarsson Björn,
Thorsdottir Inga
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2006.tb02255.x
Subject(s) - medicine , breastfeeding , demography , population , socioeconomic status , pediatrics , breast feeding , vitamin , environmental health , endocrinology , sociology
Aim: To examine in an affluent and healthy population the association between sociodemographic factors and the adherence to key infant dietary recommendations. Methods: In a longitudinal prospective study, healthy newborns were selected randomly in maternity wards around Iceland and their diet recorded every month for one year ( n =124). In addition, a 48‐hour‐weighed‐record, including information on added sugar, fruits, vegetables and the use of A and D vitamin drops was completed by 91 (73%) mothers at 9 and 12 months. Information about the mothers’ education, smoking, age, parity, and family income was collected ( n =98; 79%). Results: Regression analyses, including sociodemographic factors, showed exclusive breastfeeding to be positively associated with more education ( P =0.022) and non‐smoking ( P =0.013) explaining 22% of the variance, and total breastfeeding (exclusive + partial) with non‐smoking ( P =0.006). Multiple regression also showed children's intake of added sugar from 9–12 months to be positively associated with mother's smoking ( P =0.022) and negatively with age ( P = 0.026), explaining 30% of variance. Sociodemographic factors were associated with children's fruit and vegetable consumption but not with the administration of AD‐vitamin drops. However, when tested for significance between groups, younger mothers with fewer children seemed less likely to give AD‐vitamin drops. Conclusions: In a group of mothers getting regular antenatal care and giving birth to healthy infants, sociodemographic factors can predict which mothers need special guidance concerning recommendations about diet in infancy. These were mothers with less education, who smoked, were younger and were having their first or second child.