TY - JOUR
T1 - Trends in social inequality in breastfeeding duration in Denmark 2002–2019
AU - Carlsson, Rikke Rothkegel
AU - Pommerencke, Lis Marie
AU - Pant, Sofie Weber
AU - Jørgensen, Sanne Ellegård
AU - Madsen, Katrine Rich
AU - Bonnesen, Camilla Thørring
AU - Kierkegaard, Lene
AU - Pedersen, Trine Pagh
PY - 2025/2
Y1 - 2025/2
N2 - AimsThe aim of the present study was to analyse trends in full breastfeeding for at least 4 months across socioeconomic position in Denmark over a 17-year-long period from 2002 to 2019 using parental education as the indicator of socioeconomic position.
MethodsThe study used data on full breastfeeding collected between 2002 and 2019 by community health nurses in the collaboration Child Health Database, n=143,075. Data were linked with five categories of parental education from population registers. Social inequality was calculated as both the relative (odds ratio) and absolute social inequality (slope index of inequality). A trend test was conducted to assess changes in social inequality over time.
ResultsA social gradient in full breastfeeding was found for the entire study period. The odds ratio for not being fully breastfed for at least 4 months ranged from 3.30 (95% confidence interval 2.83–3.84) to 5.09 (95% confidence interval 4.28–6.06) during the study period for infants of parents with the lowest level of education (primary school) compared with infants of parents with the highest level of education (5+ years of university education). The slope index of inequality was between −38.86 and −48.81 during the entire study period, P=0.80. This indicated that both the relative and absolute social inequality in full breastfeeding to at least 4 months of age was unchanged in the study period from 2002 to 2019.
ConclusionsThis study showed a persistent relative and absolute social inequality in full breastfeeding for at least 4 months from 2002 to 2019 in Denmark.
AB - AimsThe aim of the present study was to analyse trends in full breastfeeding for at least 4 months across socioeconomic position in Denmark over a 17-year-long period from 2002 to 2019 using parental education as the indicator of socioeconomic position.
MethodsThe study used data on full breastfeeding collected between 2002 and 2019 by community health nurses in the collaboration Child Health Database, n=143,075. Data were linked with five categories of parental education from population registers. Social inequality was calculated as both the relative (odds ratio) and absolute social inequality (slope index of inequality). A trend test was conducted to assess changes in social inequality over time.
ResultsA social gradient in full breastfeeding was found for the entire study period. The odds ratio for not being fully breastfed for at least 4 months ranged from 3.30 (95% confidence interval 2.83–3.84) to 5.09 (95% confidence interval 4.28–6.06) during the study period for infants of parents with the lowest level of education (primary school) compared with infants of parents with the highest level of education (5+ years of university education). The slope index of inequality was between −38.86 and −48.81 during the entire study period, P=0.80. This indicated that both the relative and absolute social inequality in full breastfeeding to at least 4 months of age was unchanged in the study period from 2002 to 2019.
ConclusionsThis study showed a persistent relative and absolute social inequality in full breastfeeding for at least 4 months from 2002 to 2019 in Denmark.
KW - Breastfeeding
KW - breastfeeding duration
KW - social inequality
KW - socioeconomic differences
KW - socioeconomic position
KW - trend study
U2 - 10.1177/14034948241234133
DO - 10.1177/14034948241234133
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 38445352
SN - 1403-4948
VL - 53
SP - 98
EP - 106
JO - Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
JF - Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
IS - 1
ER -