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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

The Association between Household Socioeconomic Status, Breastfeeding, and Infants' Anthropometric Indices

Marjan Ajami1, Morteza Abdollahi2, Forouzan Salehi3

  • 1Department of Food and Nutrition Policy and Planning Research, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

International Journal of Preventive Medicine
|November 20, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Household socioeconomic status significantly impacts infant nutrition and breastfeeding duration. Higher maternal education and middle SES are linked to better exclusive breastfeeding rates, crucial for child development.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Nutrition Science

Background:

  • Childhood nutrition is vital for growth, learning, and community engagement.
  • Infant feeding practices are influenced by various factors, including household socioeconomic status (SES).
  • Assessing the impact of SES on infant nutritional indicators and breastfeeding is crucial for public health initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between household socioeconomic status (SES) and infant health indicators.
  • To determine the influence of SES on infant length-for-age and weight-for-age.
  • To examine how SES affects breastfeeding (BF) and exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) practices.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 150 households with infants aged 1-1.5 years.
  • Data collected included family size, dwelling ownership, BF duration, EBF status, parental demographics, and education.
  • SES was determined using parental education years and a nine-asset household ownership index; infant anthropometrics were recorded.

Main Results:

  • Infants in the low SES group had significantly lower 4-month length-for-age compared to other groups.
  • Middle SES households showed a significantly higher duration of breastfeeding (19.5 months).
  • Mothers with university degrees were 73% less likely to not practice EBF; middle SES was associated with a 40% lower likelihood of not practicing EBF.

Conclusions:

  • Household SES and maternal education are significant determinants of infant nutritional status, breastfeeding duration, and EBF.
  • Findings highlight the need for targeted family education programs to improve infant development.
  • Interventions should focus on socioeconomic factors to enhance child health outcomes.
Abstract

Keywords:
Body weights and measuresbreastfeedingsocial class

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