Abstract (300 words maximum)
The primary source of nutrition for most new-born babies is breastmilk. Breast milk contains fats, proteins, carbohydrates and a variety of minerals and vitamins. Breastmilk lowers the risk of developing infections and long-term diseases such as type 1 diabetes in infants and children. Studies have suggested that 1 in 5 children have never been breastfed, which could be contributed to where those children are born. Factors such as socio-economic status, lifestyle, and other social determinants in an infant’s place of birth may all contribute to whether a child get breastfed exclusively. The purpose of this research is to see if a country’s economic level affects the rate of mothers breastfeeding their infants for 4 to 5 months exclusively. Data collected from the UNICEF database for exclusive breastfeeding, provides data about breastfeeding in 202 countries from varying levels of Income groups. For this research project, two main variables are being studied. The first variable is the world bank income group which categorizes countries as low income, lower middle income, higher middle income, and high income. The second variable being studied is the rate of breastfeeding for infants for 4 to 5 months exclusively. This variable provides a point estimate percentage of the countries that have breastfed exclusively for up to 4 to 5 months straight after the child was born. Connections will be made by using crosstabs, and graphs to display a connection between the two variables. In conclusion, the two variables will be used to determine if countries income level effects their breastfeeding rates. Connections to socio-economic factors and substitution formulas effect breastfeeding practices in certain countries to provide possible explanations for the results. This research could possibly help understand why breastfeeding rates are higher in some parts of the world and lower in others.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
Public Health Education
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Dr. Kevin Gittner
Breastfeeding Rates Based on Income Group Globally
The primary source of nutrition for most new-born babies is breastmilk. Breast milk contains fats, proteins, carbohydrates and a variety of minerals and vitamins. Breastmilk lowers the risk of developing infections and long-term diseases such as type 1 diabetes in infants and children. Studies have suggested that 1 in 5 children have never been breastfed, which could be contributed to where those children are born. Factors such as socio-economic status, lifestyle, and other social determinants in an infant’s place of birth may all contribute to whether a child get breastfed exclusively. The purpose of this research is to see if a country’s economic level affects the rate of mothers breastfeeding their infants for 4 to 5 months exclusively. Data collected from the UNICEF database for exclusive breastfeeding, provides data about breastfeeding in 202 countries from varying levels of Income groups. For this research project, two main variables are being studied. The first variable is the world bank income group which categorizes countries as low income, lower middle income, higher middle income, and high income. The second variable being studied is the rate of breastfeeding for infants for 4 to 5 months exclusively. This variable provides a point estimate percentage of the countries that have breastfed exclusively for up to 4 to 5 months straight after the child was born. Connections will be made by using crosstabs, and graphs to display a connection between the two variables. In conclusion, the two variables will be used to determine if countries income level effects their breastfeeding rates. Connections to socio-economic factors and substitution formulas effect breastfeeding practices in certain countries to provide possible explanations for the results. This research could possibly help understand why breastfeeding rates are higher in some parts of the world and lower in others.