Association between women’s empowerment and infant and child feeding practices in sub-Saharan Africa

An analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys

Bibliographic Data

ID15094875
AuthorsMuzi (0000-0002-8844-0646, Johns Hopkins University, corresponding author), Larissa Jennings (Johns Hopkins University), Sameera A Talegawkar (0000-0003-2612-5728, Johns Hopkins University), Saifuddin Ahmed (0000-0001-6372-213X, Johns Hopkins University)
Year2015
Volume18
Issue17
Pages3155-3165
Publication date2015-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePublic Health Nutrition (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1368-9800 • E-ISSN: 1475-2727
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s1368980015002621
PMID26347195
OpenAlexW2137620121
LanguageEN
Citations received43
References cited53

Objective To explore the relationship between women’s empowerment and WHO recommended infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices in sub-Saharan Africa. Design Analysis was conducted using data from ten Demographic and Health Surveys between 2010 and 2013. Women’s empowerment was assessed by nine standard items covering three dimensions: economic, socio-familial and legal empowerment. Three core IYCF practices examined were minimum dietary diversity, minimum meal frequency and minimum acceptable diet. Separate multivariable logistic regression models were applied for the IYCF practices on dimensional and overall empowerment in each country. Setting Benin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Subjects Youngest singleton children aged 6–23 months and their mothers ( n 15 153). Results Less than 35 %, 60 % and 18 % of children 6–23 months of age met the criterion of minimum dietary diversity, minimum meal frequency and minimum acceptable diet, respectively. In general, likelihood of meeting the recommended IYCF criteria was positively associated with the economic dimension of women’s empowerment. Socio-familial empowerment was negatively associated with the three feeding criteria, except in Zimbabwe. The legal dimension of empowerment did not show any clear pattern in the associations. Greater overall empowerment of women was consistently and positively associated with multiple IYCF practices in Mali, Rwanda and Sierra Leone. However, consistent negative relationships were found in Benin and Niger. Null or mixed results were observed in the remaining countries. Conclusions The importance of women’s empowerment for IYCF practices needs to be discussed by context and by dimension of empowerment

Agriculture · Context (archaeology · Dietary diversity · Economic growth · Empowerment · Food security · Geography · Logistic regression · Sierra leone · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Women's empowerment · Breastfeeding Practices and Influences · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Demography · Global Maternal and Child Health · Medicine