title: Exclusive breastfeeding among Canadian Inuit: results from the Nunavut Inuit Child Health Survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Very little population-based research has been conducted around the exclusive breastfeeding practices of Inuit Canadians.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This research aims to assess the distribution of exclusive breastfeeding among Inuit Canadians and to identify factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding as recommended.
  
  
  METHODS
  We use data from 188 infant-mother dyads who completed the Nunavut Inuit Child Health Survey, a cross-sectional, population-based survey of Inuit children aged 3 to 5 years. A series of multinomial logistic regression models were run to identify factors associated with 4 exclusive breastfeeding durations (≤ 1 month, > 1-< 5.5 months, 5.5-6.5 months, and > 6.5 months).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of infants, 23% were exclusively breastfed as recommended (ie, between 5.5 and 6.5 months; 95% CI, 16.2-29.3). Many infants (61%) were exclusively breastfed for less than 5.5 months and 16% (95% CI, 10.9-22.0) were exclusively breastfed for more than 6.5 months. Families receiving income support were less likely to discontinue exclusive breastfeeding before 5.5 months (pOR1- < 5.5 months = 0.34; 95% CI, 0.13, 0.85) relative to those not receiving income support, in adjusted models. No other measured factors were significantly related to exclusive breastfeeding duration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of Inuit Canadian infants receive suboptimal exclusive breastfeeding. National, provincial, and community-specific interventions to protect, promote, and support exclusive breastfeeding should emphasize not only the benefits of exclusively breastfeeding to 6 months but also the importance of timely introduction of complementary foods into the infant's diet.
authors.affiliation: 1Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Kathryn E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: McIsaac
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lou
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sellen
authors.forename: T Kue
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005378:Financial Support; D006801:Humans; D004930:Inuit / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Aboriginal; Inuit; breastfeeding; epidemiology; exclusive breastfeeding