title: Sociodemographic determinants of early weaning: a Finnish birth cohort study in infants with human leucocyte antigen-conferred susceptibility to type 1 diabetes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the most important sociodemographic determinants of age at introduction of complementary foods in infancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective birth cohort with increased risk of type 1 diabetes, recruited between 1996 and 2004. The families completed at home a follow-up form on the age at introduction of new foods and, for each clinic visit, a structured dietary questionnaire with 3 d food records.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the Type 1 Diabetes Prediction and Prevention (DIPP) Project, Finland.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort of 5991 infants (77 % of those invited) belonging to the DIPP Nutrition Study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-three per cent of the infants were introduced to complementary foods, including infant formula, before the age of 4 months. The median age at introduction of infant formula was 1·5 months (range 0-18 months) and that of the first other complementary food 3·5 months (range 0·7-8 months). All sociodemographic and lifestyle factors studied were associated with the age at introduction of infant formula and/or first other complementary food. Female sex of the infant, being born in the southern region of Finland, living in a rural municipality, the presence of siblings, the mother or the father being a high-school graduate, high maternal professional education and maternal non-smoking during pregnancy predicted later introduction of complementary foods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compliance was relatively poor with the current recommendations for the age of introducing complementary foods. Small-sized young families with less well-educated parents were most prone to introduce complementary foods early.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutrition, Department of Food and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 66, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. maijaliisa.erkkola@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: Maijaliisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Erkkola
authors.forename: Maija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salmenhaara
authors.forename: Bright I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Nwaru
authors.forename: Liisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Uusitalo
authors.forename: Carina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kronberg-Kippilä
authors.forename: Suvi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahonen
authors.forename: Riitta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Veijola
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knip
authors.forename: Suvi M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Virtanen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000276:immunology*; D004032:Diet; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006680:HLA Antigens; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food; D041943:Infant Formula; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012424:Rural Population; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014886:Weaning; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens