Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37612598›Full record

ArticleInternational breastfeeding journal2023

Intersectional inequalities in exclusive breastfeeding practices in India: analysis of national family health survey-4.

Haseena Chekrain Valappil, Rajeev Jayalakshmi, Christian Sewor

Abstract read
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Article in International breastfeeding journal, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

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7citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Haseena Chekrain ValappilDepartment of Public Health and Community Medicine, Central University of Kerala, Tejaswini Hills, Periye, 671320, Kasaragod, Kerala, India.
Rajeev JayalakshmiDepartment of Public Health and Community Medicine, Central University of Kerala, Tejaswini Hills, Periye, 671320, Kasaragod, Kerala, India. jayalakshmirajeev@cukerala.ac.in.
Christian SeworDepartment of Public Health and Community Medicine, Central University of Kerala, Tejaswini Hills, Periye, 671320, Kasaragod, Kerala, India.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundExclusive breastfeeding in the initial six months of infancy plays a significant role in the physical and cognitive development of the child. One in two children below six months of age in India is not receiving exclusive breastfeeding, with the rates varying considerably between and within states. In this study, we investigated the effect of intersecting inequalities in exclusive breastfeeding practice amongst children below six months in India.

methodsData from the fourth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) was used for the study. The study used a weighed sample of 211,145 infants below six months. Exclusive breastfeeding practice was assessed based on the previous 24-hours feeding practice of the child. Intersecting social categories were created based on place of residence, religion, wealth index, and mothers' education. A binary logistic regression model was used to explore inequalities in the practice of exclusive breastfeeding based on the intersecting social categories.

resultsExclusive breastfeeding practices varied significantly between the intersecting categories of religion, place of residence, wealth index, and education of the mother. Exclusive breastfeeding practice prevalence was the highest amongst children born in the Urban-Secondary-Poor-Others group (57.9%) and lowest amongst the Rural-Primary-Rich-Others category (34.5). In comparison to children in the most disadvantaged category (Rural-Primary-Poor-Others), children born in the Rural-Secondary-Poor-Others category had the highest odds [OR (odds ratio) 1.213; 95% CI 1.024, 1.437] of being exclusively breastfed, whilst children within the Rural-Primary-Rich-Others category had the lowest odds (OR 0.494; 95% CI 0.345, 0.708). Wide disparities were observed in the odds of engaging in exclusive breastfeeding practice amongst the middle groups than between the most advantaged and the most disadvantaged groups. The inequality indices show varied distribution of exclusive breastfeeding prevalence across the intersecting groups with higher exclusive breastfeeding prevalence noted amongst disadvantaged groups.

conclusionsThe study found that intersecting inequalities in exclusive breastfeeding exist in India. In order to improve exclusive breastfeeding practice, targeted interventions must acknowledge and adopt a comprehensive approach that addresses inherent inequalities resulting from the intersection of various axes of social stratification.

Indexed as

Breast FeedingCognitionChildEducational StatusFemaleHealth SurveysHumansIndiaInfantExclusive breastfeedingIndiaInequalitiesInfantsIntersectionality

Identifiers

PMID37612598
PMCPMC10464041

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.