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Table 3 Association of exclusive breastfeeding and various individual, household-level, and socio-demographic factors with diarrhea and acute respiratory infectiona in South Asia

From: Effect of exclusive breastfeeding and other infant and young child feeding practices on childhood morbidity outcomes: associations for infants 0–6 months in 5 South Asian countries using Demographic and Health Survey data

 

Diarrhoea in the last 2 weeks

Acute respiratory infection in the last 2 weeks

Afghanistan (2015)

(n = 3462)

Bangladesh (2017/18)

(n = 1084)

India (2019/21)

(n = 26101)

Nepal (2022)

(n = 581)

Pakistan (2017/18)

(n = 1306)

Afghanistan (2015)b

(n = 3467)

Bangladesh (2017/18)

(n = 1084)

India (2019/21)

(n = 26101)

Nepal (2022)c

(n = 581)

Pakistan (2017/18)

(n = 1306)

Variables

AOR (95% CI)

AOR (95% CI)

AOR (95% CI)

AOR (95% CI)

AOR (95% CI)

AOR (95% CI)

AOR (95% CI)

AOR (95% CI)

AOR (95% CI)

AOR (95% CI)

Infant age (months)

 0–2

Ref

Ref

Ref

Ref

Ref

Ref

Ref

Ref

 

Ref

 3–4

2.54 (1.70, 3.79)**

3.55 (1.05, 12.05)*

1.61 (1.37, 1.88)**

1.30 (0.65, 2.61)

1.19 (0.77, 1.85)

1.69 (1.02, 2.83)*

2.11 (0.78, 5.68)

1.49 (1.18, 1.89)*

 

2.12 (1.25, 3.59)*

 5–6

2.95 (2.11, 4.11)**

4.02 (1.13, 14.32)*

1.81 (1.55, 2.13)**

1.56 (0.69, 3.56)

1.80 (1.10, 2.93)*

2.18 (1.34, 3.56)*

3.90 (1.39, 10.91)*

1.69 (1.32, 2.15)**

 

2.46 (1.41, 4.28)*

Gender

 Male

  

Ref

   

Ref

   

 Female

  

0.86 (0.76, 0.97)*

   

0.43 (0.20, 0.94)*

   

Mother’s age in years

 15–19

  

Ref

 

Ref

Ref

 

Ref

  

 20–29

  

0.75 (0.61, 0.93)*

 

0.78 (0.45, 1.35)

1.83 (0.90, 3.74)

 

0.80 (0.56, 1.15)

  

 30–39

  

0.54 (0.42, 0.70)**

 

0.50 (0.26, 0.98)*

1.85 (0.86, 3.99)

 

0.71 (0.46, 1.08)

  

 40–49

  

0.53 (0.26, 1.03)

 

1.35 (0.52, 3.55)

1.95 (0.74, 5.19)

 

0.27 (0.09, 0.84)*

  

Maternal education

 No education

Ref

Ref

 

Ref

Ref

  

Ref

 

Ref

 Primary

1.07 (0.60, 1.91)

0.29 (0.08, 1.11)

 

1.12 (0.49, 2.58)

2.36 (1.43, 3.91)*

  

1.00 (0.73, 1.37)

 

1.18 (0.63, 2.19)

 Secondary

1.36 (0.87, 2.14)

0.30 (0.09, 1.02)

 

1.05 (0.42, 2.63)

1.51 (0.87, 2.59)

  

1.02 (0.79, 1.31)

 

1.52 (0.81, 2.83)

 Higher

0.66 (0.27, 1.63)

0.23 (0.05, 0.99)*

 

0.12 (0.01, 1.15)

1.57 (0.75, 3.26)

  

0.84 (0.59, 1.20)

 

0.35 (0.14, 0.86)*

Mother’s employment

 Not working

         

Ref

 Working

         

1.29 (0.60, 2.80)

Type of residence

 Urban

Ref

 

Ref

       

 Rural

0.86 (0.54, 1.36)

 

1.20 (0.99, 1.45)

       

Household size (members)

 1–4

Ref

  

Ref

      

 5–8

0.57 (0.30, 1.08)

  

2.21 (0.94, 5.16)

      

 9 + 

0.51 (0.30, 0.87)*

  

3.51 (1.27, 9.67)*

      

Wealth index

 Poorest

  

Ref

 

Ref

 

Ref

Ref

 

Ref

 Poorer

  

1.25 (1.05, 1.49)*

 

1.45 (0.89, 2.35)

 

0.81 (0.32, 2.03)

0.97 (0.75, 1.25)

 

1.07 (0.57, 2.03)

 Middle

  

1.09 (0.90, 1.31)

 

1.01 (0.52, 1.93)

 

0.59 (0.19, 1.85)

1.00 (0.75, 1.33)

 

0.62 (0.26, 1.49)

 Richer

  

1.07 (0.88, 1.32)

 

1.33 (0.72, 2.43)

 

0.59 (0.20, 1.75)

0.79 (0.58, 1.07)

 

0.96 (0.38, 2.44)

 Richest

  

0.87 (0.66, 1.15)

 

0.61 (0.29, 1.30)

 

0.32 (0.10, 0.95)*

0.64 (0.45, 0.91)*

 

1.01 (0.36, 2.83)

Source of drinking water

 Improved

Ref

    

Ref

    

 Unimproved

0.86 (0.63, 1.18)

    

1.36 (0.95, 1.94)

    

Type of toilet facility

 Improved

Ref

 

Ref

      

Ref

 Unimproved

0.83 (0.59, 1.17)

 

1.08 (0.93, 1.25)

      

1.35 (0.72, 2.55)

Type of cooking fuel

 Clean

          

 Solid

          

Number of ANC visits

 None

Ref

    

Ref

 

Ref

  

 1–3

1.40 (0.96, 2.02)

    

2.01 (1.13, 3.56)*

 

2.10 (1.31, 3.37)*

  

 4 or more

1.96 (1.31, 2.93)*

    

2.42 (1.21, 4.83)*

 

1.90 (1.19, 3.04)*

  

Place of delivery

 Home

     

Ref

    

 Health facility

     

0.48 (0.31, 0.75)*

    

Exclusive breastfeeding

 No

Ref

Ref

Ref

Ref

Ref

Ref

Ref

Ref

 

Ref

 Yes

0.49 (0.35, 0.70)**

0.65 (0.27, 1.54)

0.80 (0.70, 0.91)*

0.42 (0.20, 0.89)*

0.75 (0.51, 1.09)

0.57 (0.39, 0.83)*

0.91 (0.39, 2.09)

0.86 (0.71, 1.05)

 

0.70 (0.43, 1.14)

  1. Only variables which met the cutoff for significance (p < 0.10) were included in the multivariable model
  2. AOR adjusted odds ratio, Ref Reference category
  3. Level of significance: *p < 0.05, **p < 0.001
  4. aDiarrhoea and acute respiratory infection symptoms in the previous 2 weeks
  5. bSample sizes different in table for Afghanistan DHS as models differed by outcomes
  6. cUnadjusted odd ratios for EBF in Nepal not significant
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International Breastfeeding Journal

ISSN: 1746-4358