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Table 1 Characteristics of the study population in India, 2015–16 NFHS

From: Regional prevalence and determinants of exclusive breastfeeding in India

 

North (n = 2731)

South (n = 3641)

East (n = 5177)

West (n = 2572)

Central (n = 6425)

North Eastern (n = 806)

n

%

n

%

n

%

n

%

n

%

n

%

Child characteristics

 Sex of baby

  Male

1443

52.8

1880

51.7

2740

52.9

1292

50.2

3190

51.4

399

49.5

  Female

1288

47.2

1761

48.4

2436

47.1

1280

49.8

3015

48.6

407

50.6

 Age of child (months)

  0–2.9

1108

40.6

1467

40.3

2117

40.9

1054

41.0

2681

43.0

351

43.5

  3–5.9

1623

59.4

2174

59.7

3060

59.1

1518

59.0

3525

57.0

455

56.5

 Birth order

  First-born

1130

41.4

1606

4.1

1901

36.7

1074

41.8

2113

34.1

323

40.1

  2nd-4th

1428

52.3

1994

54.7

2863

55.3

1438

55.9

3506

56.5

420

52.1

  5 or more

173

6.3

41.0

1.1

413

8.0

60

2.3

587

9.5

63

7.8

 Perceived size of baby

  Small

312

11.6

349

9.7

670

13.1

321

12.5

928

15.1

116

15.6

  Average

2007

74.5

2235

61.9

3303

64.5

1670

65.3

4411

71.9

483

64.6

  Large

374

13.9

1025

28.4

1145

22.4

568

22.2

797

13.0

148

19.8

 Preceding birth interval

  No previous birth

1139

41.7

1630

44.8

1914

37.0

1081

42.0

2122

34.2

323

40.1

   < 24 months

401

14.7

562

15.4

751

14.5

357

13.9

997

16.1

70

8.7

   > 24 months

1191

43.6

1449

39.8

2511

48.5

1133

44.1

3087

49.7

412

51.1

Maternal characteristics

 Mother’s age

  15–24 years

154

6.1

341

9.4

714

13.8

243

9.4

317

4.9

94

11.6

  25–34 years

2247

89.5

3211

88.2

4209

81.3

2259

87.8

5779

90.0

639

79.3

  35–49 years

111

4.4

90

2.5

253

4.9

70

2.7

329

5.1

73

9.1

 Mother’s education

  No education

758

27.8

358

9.8

1870

36.1

346

13.5

1987

32.0

152

18.8

  Primary

363

13.3

258

7.1

751

14.5

293

11.4

943

15.2

140

17.3

  Secondary and higher

1610

58.9

3025

83.1

2555

49.4

1932

75.1

3275

52.8

515

63.9

 Mother’s religion

  Hindu

2074

76.0

2965

81.4

3885

75.0

2083

81.0

5209

83.9

380

47.2

  Muslim

385

14.1

475

13.1

1098

21.2

342

13.3

959

15.5

269

33.4

  Christianity and others

272

10.0

201

5.5

194

3.8

147

5.7

38

0.6

156

19.4

 Type of caste or tribe

  Scheduled caste

718

26.3

841

23.1

1139

22.0

355

13.8

1408

22.7

67

8.3

  Scheduled tribe

266

9.7

235

6.4

611

11.8

430

16.7

673

10.8

215

26.6

  Other backward class

983

36.0

20

55.5

2179

42.1

836

32.5

3065

49.4

167

20.7

  Others

764

28.0

20

15.0

1248

24.1

951

37.0

1060

17.1

357

44.4

Family/household characteristics

 Marital status

  Currently married

2721

99.7

3637

99.9

5153

99.7

2555

99.4

6172

99.5

799

99.3

  Formerly married (divorced/separated/ widowed)

7

0.3

4

0.1

16

0.3

14

0.6

29

0.5

5

0.7

 Household wealth index

  Poor

755

27.7

798

21.9

3826

73.9

732

28.5

3391

54.7

524

65.0

  Middle

498

18.2

1025

28.1

746

14.4

587

22.8

1150

18.5

157

19.5

  Rich

1478

54.1

1819

50.0

605

11.7

1253

48.7

1664

26.8

125

15.5

Health service characteristics

 Antenatal clinic visits

  None

308

11.3

263

7.2

1364

26.4

243

9.5

1037

16.7

112

13.9

  1–3

1006

36.8

455

12.5

1821

35.2

448

17.4

2988

48.2

304

37.7

  4+

1418

51.9

2923

80.3

1992

38.5

1880

73.1

2181

35.1

390

48.4

 Place of delivery

  Home

300

11.0

109

3.0

1401

27.1

185

7.2

1412

22.8

239

29.6

  Health facility

2431

89.0

3532

97.0

3775

72.9

2387

92.8

4793

77.2

567

70.4

 Type of delivery assistance

  Health professional

2239

82.3

3244

89.2

3154

61.4

2060

80.6

3645

59.1

556

70.6

  Traditional birth attendants

182

6.7

78

2.2

832

16.2

84

3.3

760

12.3

83

10.5

  Other untrained personnel

300

11.0

316

8.7

1150

22.4

413

16.2

1765

28.6

149

18.9

 Mode of delivery

  Vaginal

2291

83.9

2121

58.3

4497

86.9

1984

77.2

5488

88.4

667

82.8

  Caesarean

440

16.1

1520

41.8

680

13.1

588

22.9

718

11.6

138

17.2

Community-level factor

 Residence

  Urban

878

32.2

1388

38.1

760

14.7

10,651

41.3

1350

21.8

111

13.7

  Rural

1853

67.8

2253

61.9

4417

85.3

1510

58.7

4856

78.3

695

86.3