Exclusive breastfeeding according to working status and status of mothers: secondary analysis of TDHS data

Breast milk is the ideal food ingredient for babies. Maternal working status is known as one of the factors that affect the continuation of breastfeeding. Working mothers are in a situation where they have to manage both their job and maternal roles simultaneously. With this study, we aim to show the relationship between mothers' breastfeeding behavior and working status, as well as the effect of their working conditions on the continuation of breastfeeding. This study examined Turkey Demographic Health Survey (TDHS)'s data from 2008, 2013, and 2018. This study sample consisted of the working mothers aged between 15 and 49 with children under the age of two living with their mothers, born from a single pregnancy, as the last offspring. We included 3557 (weighted 3490) child-mother pairs in our study. This study undertook a complex sample multiple logistic regression analysis to explore the relationship between breastfeeding and maternal employment. In our study, the rate of breastfeeding was significantly higher in low-income households in Eastern Turkey, among mothers over 35 years old, with no education and speaking Kurdish, with birth rates of 4 and more, with normal vaginal delivery, between 0-5 months of age, with a weight of 2500 grams and above, with no bottle feeding in a smoke-free home. 35.5% of the mothers had never worked, 18.6% were still working, and 45.9% had worked in the past but were not currently working. When examining breastfeeding rates based on maternal working status, the breastfeeding rate for mothers employed in 2008 was significantly lower than those who had never worked and worked previously but not currently [59,5 (95% CI:52,3-66,4)]. In other years and overall, maternal employment didn't affect breastfeeding. In subsequent analysis, maternal employment in the industry sector had lower breastfeeding rates [Model 0, %80 (95% CI:0,05-0,85), Model 1 %94 (95% CI:0,01-0,48)] than those working in agriculture.These results show that the mother's working status does not impede continuing breastfeeding. Breastfeeding policies should be developed for mothers working in the industry. Women should be provided with informative training on how to continue breastfeeding while staying in the workforce under suitable conditions.