Trends in Exclusive Breastfeeding by Maternal Socioeconomic Status in South Korea

WHO recommended that mothers exclusively breastfeed their infant up to 6 months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age. In South Korea the breastfeeding rate had been decreased since 1960¡¯s, however, it is gradually increasing from 2003. The objective of this study is to examine the trends in the relationship between exclusive breastfeeding and maternal socioeconomic status in South Korea. The two rounds data (2003, 2009) of population-based National Fertility and Family Health Survey of South Korea were analyzed. The proportion of exclusive breastfeeding was surveyed by the mothers who aged 15-49 years old and delivered their last child 30 months ago. They were compared within the logit model after grouping as completed breastfeeding less than 1 week, 1, 3, 6 months by educational status, income, and occupation. Log-rank test and Cox model with non-proportional hazard via stratification of socioeconomic status were used to analyze those who had initiated exclusive breastfeeding and expressed as survival curve. The Better educated mothers were more likely to do breastfeeding. This trend appeared more clearly in unemployed women. There was no significant difference of exclusive breastfeeding by income level in the unemployed women. In employed women, highly educated and better-off mothers had breastfed during shorter duration. Non-manual working group had significantly shorter breastfeeding duration compared to manual working class or unemployed. Breastfeeding showed increasing trends from 2003 survey in South Korea. And it can be interpreted as entering resurgence phase. However, working environment for breastfeeding is not proper to employed mothers. Employed mothers are enforced to puzzle between the working and the breastfeeding rather than performing together.