Socioeconomic status and rates of breastfeeding in Australia: evidence from three recent national health surveys.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether the relationship between socioeconomic status and breastfeeding initiation and duration changed in Australia between 1995 and 2004.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Secondary analysis of data from national health surveys (NHSs) conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 1995, 2001 and 2004-05. The Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) classification was used as a measure of socioeconomic status.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Rates of initiation of breastfeeding; rates of breastfeeding at 3, 6 and 12 months.

RESULTS

Between the 1995 and 2004-05 NHSs, there was little change in overall rates of breastfeeding initiation and duration. In 2004-05, breastfeeding initiation was 87.8%, and the proportions of infants breastfeeding at 3, 6 and 12 months were 64.4%, 50.4% and 23.3%, respectively. In 1995, the odds ratio (OR) of breastfeeding at 6 months increased by an average of 13% (OR, 1.13 [95% CI, 1.07-1.19]) for each increase in SEIFA quintile; in 2001, the comparative increase was 21% (OR, 1.21 [95% CI, 1.12-1.30]); while in 2004-05, the comparative increase was 26% (OR, 1.26 [95% CI, 1.17-1.36]). Breastfeeding at 3 months and 1 year showed similar changes in ORs. There was little change in the ORs for breastfeeding initiation.

CONCLUSION

Although overall duration of breastfeeding remained fairly constant in Australia between 1995 and 2004-05, the gap between the most disadvantaged and least disadvantaged families has widened considerably over this period.