Differentials and Determinants of the Duration of Breastfeeding in Bangladesh: a Multilevel Analysis

Abstract: The differentials and determinants of breastfeeding (BF) were studied by a number of socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of mother and child in Bagladesh. The data for this study were taken from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 1996-1997. Information on BF was taken from the mothers following the last birth (n=4972) (current status) and last but one birth (n= 1851) (retrospective reporting). In this study, about 98 per cent mother in respect of last child and 92 per cent mother in respect of last-but-one child breastfed their children at least briefly. The mean duration of breastfeeding was found about 26.4 months for the last child and 25.9 months for the last-but-one child cohort. Mothers belonging to the older births cohort breastfed for a longer duration than the younger mothers. Education as well as occupation of mothers and fathers was found inversely related with the duration of BF. A positive relationship of the mean duration of breastfeeding was found with post partum amenorrhoea, age of mother at the birth of child, age of child and open birth interval.