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Accepted (AM)Open Access (License Unspecified), Open
Journal article
Climatic conditions and infant care: implications for child nutrition in rural Ethiopia
Population and environment, v 42(4), pp 524-552
01 Jun 2021
PMID: 34149138
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
We examine the relationships between climatic conditions, breastfeeding behavior, and maternal time use in Ethiopia. Infant feeding practices are important predictors of child nutrition that may be affected by a number of factors including mother's time engaging in agricultural labor, food security, cultural beliefs, and antenatal care. We use panel data from the Living Standards Measurement Study to investigate linkages between climatic conditions during a child's first year of life and year prior to birth and duration of exclusive breastfeeding. We then explore one potential mechanism: women's agricultural labor. Results indicate that rainfall during the primary agricultural season-kiremt-in a child's first year of life plays an important role in duration of exclusive breastfeeding. Experiencing 25 cm of average monthly kiremt rainfall, versus 5 cm, is associated with a 20-percentage-point decrease in the likelihood of being exclusively breastfed for the recommended 6 months. More kiremt rainfall is associated with a greater number of days that women spend planting and harvesting, and at high levels of rainfall women with infants do not engage in significantly fewer days of agricultural labor than those without infants. Lastly, we find that during the year before birth, greater rainfall during kiremt as well as the dry season is associated with a lower likelihood of 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding, potentially due to the early introduction of complementary foods. Our findings indicate that agricultural labor demands may in part drive breastfeeding behaviors, leading to "sub-optimal" feeding practices in the short-term, but resulting in improved household food security in the longer-term.
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Details
- Title
- Climatic conditions and infant care: implications for child nutrition in rural Ethiopia
- Creators
- Heather Randell - Pennsylvania State UniversityKathryn Grace - University of MinnesotaMaryia Bakhtsiyarava - University of Minnesota
- Publication Details
- Population and environment, v 42(4), pp 524-552
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Number of pages
- 29
- Grant note
- 5P2CHD041025-17 / Pennsylvania State University Population Research Institute
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Urban Health Collaborative
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000612874300001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85099977858
- Other Identifier
- 991021966750104721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Demography
- Environmental Studies