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Breastfeeding or Bottled Milk? Poverty and Feeding Choices in the Native and Immigrant Population in Belgium

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Abstract

In many European countries, mothers in poverty show a preference for bottled milk over breastfeeding. What remains unknown is whether the impact of poverty on feeding choices differs between immigrants and natives. We first assessed whether being born into poverty indicates a higher chance of being bottle-fed, then evaluated whether region of origin of the mother moderates the impact of poverty on feeding choice. Based on population data from nearly all newborns in Belgium in 2004 (N = 34,314), we performed several binary logistic analyses to answer these research questions. Analyses showed a strong difference in feeding choices between native and migrant mothers in poverty: for Belgian mothers, the choice to breastfeed significantly decreased; no such effect was observed for migrant women. Southern European mothers living in poverty have an even higher chance of breastfeeding than those who are better off. We suggest possible explanations and set a direction for future research regarding breastfeeding choices for migrant mothers.

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Notes

  1. To warrant our decision to analyze Turkish and Moroccan migrant groups together, additional tests were performed. Pearson χ2 shows these two groups are statistically non-significant from each other (Pearson χ2 = 3.381, p < 0.066). An analysis of Turkish and Moroccan migrants, each as separate categories, further confirms our decision (Turkish migrants: OR 1.635, p < .000; Moroccan migrants: OR 1.389, p < .000; poor Turkish migrants: OR 3.234, p < .000; poor Moroccan migrants: OR 1.584, p < .000).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sociology Department, Ghent University, Korte Meer 3-5, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Karen Vanderlinden, Katia Levecque & Ronan Van Rossem

  2. Research Council Flanders, Egmontstraat 5, 1000, Brussels, Belgium

    Katia Levecque

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  1. Karen Vanderlinden
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  2. Katia Levecque
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  3. Ronan Van Rossem
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Correspondence to Karen Vanderlinden.

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Vanderlinden, K., Levecque, K. & Van Rossem, R. Breastfeeding or Bottled Milk? Poverty and Feeding Choices in the Native and Immigrant Population in Belgium. J Immigrant Minority Health 17, 319–324 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-014-0072-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-014-0072-1

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