Breastfeeding practices and associated factors among children under 24 months of age in Timor-Leste.
OBJECTIVE
To describe breastfeeding practices and to assess the sociodemographic factors associated with selected breastfeeding indicators.


METHODS
The 2003 Demographic and Health Survey was a multi-stage cluster sample survey of 4320 households from four different geographic areas in Timor-Leste.


METHODS
A total of 2162 children aged 0-23 months.


RESULTS
A high proportion (97.6%) of infants had been ever breastfed, but only 46.1% had initiated breastfeeding within the first hour of birth. Seventy-eight percent of children <24 months were currently breastfed, 30.7% of infants <6 months were exclusively breastfed and 12.5% of infants <12 months were bottle-fed. A high proportion of infants of 6-9 months (82.0%) were receiving complementary food in addition to breast milk. Multivariate analysis revealed that exclusive breastfeeding was significantly lower in the rural west region (odds ratio (OR)=3.15) compared to the urban region, and among those from richest households (OR=1.90) compared to poorest. Mothers with primary education were significantly more likely to exclusively breastfeed than mothers with no education (OR=0.62). Increasing age of the infant was associated with significantly less current (OR=1.23) and exclusive (OR=1.35) breastfeeding. Continuation of breastfeeding at the end of the first year was significantly lower in non-working mothers (OR=1.58) compared to working mothers, and among infants born in health-care facilities (OR=2.16) than those born at home.


CONCLUSIONS
Breastfeeding practices in Timor-Leste were satisfactory, except the exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months. However, more socioeconomically privileged groups demonstrated a poorer breastfeeding performance than disadvantaged groups. Further breastfeeding promotion programmes are needed across all population groups, and should include health-care providers and maternity institutions.
Senarath
U
U
Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Dibley
M J
MJ
Agho
K E
KE
D000367:Age Factors; D001903:Bottle Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003126:Colostrum; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014886:Weaning