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Breastfeeding practices and associated factors among children under 24 months of age in Timor-Leste

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 61, pages 387–397 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

To describe breastfeeding practices and to assess the sociodemographic factors associated with selected breastfeeding indicators.

Design and setting:

The 2003 Demographic and Health Survey was a multi-stage cluster sample survey of 4320 households from four different geographic areas in Timor-Leste.

Subjects:

A total of 2162 children aged 0–23 months.

Results:

A high proportion (97.6%) of infants had been ever breastfed, but only 46.1% had initiated breastfeeding within the first hour of birth. Seventy-eight percent of children <24 months were currently breastfed, 30.7% of infants <6 months were exclusively breastfed and 12.5% of infants <12 months were bottle-fed. A high proportion of infants of 6–9 months (82.0%) were receiving complementary food in addition to breast milk. Multivariate analysis revealed that exclusive breastfeeding was significantly lower in the rural west region (odds ratio (OR)=3.15) compared to the urban region, and among those from richest households (OR=1.90) compared to poorest. Mothers with primary education were significantly more likely to exclusively breastfeed than mothers with no education (OR=0.62). Increasing age of the infant was associated with significantly less current (OR=1.23) and exclusive (OR=1.35) breastfeeding. Continuation of breastfeeding at the end of the first year was significantly lower in non-working mothers (OR=1.58) compared to working mothers, and among infants born in health-care facilities (OR=2.16) than those born at home.

Conclusions:

Breastfeeding practices in Timor-Leste were satisfactory, except the exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months. However, more socioeconomically privileged groups demonstrated a poorer breastfeeding performance than disadvantaged groups. Further breastfeeding promotion programmes are needed across all population groups, and should include health-care providers and maternity institutions.

Sponsorship:

World Bank Trust Fund for East Timor.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the World Bank Trust Fund for East Timor for funding the DHS survey and the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka for sponsoring a fellowship for the first author. We are also grateful to Professor Graham Vimpani, Clinical Chair of the Kaleidoscope in Greater Newcastle, for his support for this research activity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka

    U Senarath

  2. Centre for Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia

    U Senarath, M J Dibley & K E Agho

  3. School of Public Health, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia

    K E Agho

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  1. U Senarath
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  2. M J Dibley
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  3. K E Agho
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Correspondence to M J Dibley.

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Senarath, U., Dibley, M. & Agho, K. Breastfeeding practices and associated factors among children under 24 months of age in Timor-Leste. Eur J Clin Nutr 61, 387–397 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602536

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