Determinants of continued breastfeeding beyond 12 months in Turkey: Secondary data analysis of the Demographic and Health Survey

Continued breastfeeding at year 1 is one of the core indicators for assessing global infant and young child feeding practices. The study aims to determine the frequency of breastfeeding after 12 months (long-term breastfeeding) according to a number of infant and maternal characteristics and to investigate the effects of long-term breastfeeding on the nutritional habits and growth status of children as seen in the national data. The sample included 1666 children aged 12 to 35 months from the 2003 Turkey Demographic and Health Survey. Only 55.9% of children were breastfed beyond 12 months. The rates of long-term breastfeeding were higher in the presence of the following characteristics: high birth order, long preceding birth interval, religious marriage ceremony, usage of traditional contraceptive methods, mothers aged 30-34 years and overweight mothers. Rates were lower for mothers with tobacco exposure and for bottle-fed infants. Long-term breastfeeding did not affect the consumption of plain yogurt, solid foods and semi-solid foods; however, it was associated with a decreased intake of bottled milk and fruit juice. The rates of long-term breastfeeding were similar in the case of undernourished children and of those with normal growth status. Long-term breastfeeding was related to certain maternal and infant characteristics; however, it did not affect the consumption of complementary food. Breastfeeding promotion programs should include targeted interventions for younger, primiparous and smoking mothers.