TABLE 3.
Meta-regression results for the association between formal and informal maternal employment and IYCF indicators by log-GDP1
| β (95% CI) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Formal employment2 | Informal employment2 | |
| Exclusive breastfeeding3 | −0.11 (−0.26, 0.04) | −0.02 (−0.16, 0.12)4 |
| Minimum diet diversity3 | −0.07 (−0.18, 0.04) | −0.09 (−0.18, 0.01) |
| Minimum meal frequency3 | −0.08 (−0.16, −0.01) | −0.13 (−0.22, −0.04) |
1β Coefficients were estimated using meta-regression (using the metareg command in Stata). Meta-regression investigates the extent to which statistical heterogeneity between results of multiple countries can be related to log GDP (47). Random-effects meta-regression allows for between-country variance not explained by log GDP. Similar to linear regression, the coefficient can be interpreted as the effect of the association between employment and IYCF per each unit increase in log GDP (i.e., how much of the heterogeneity in the association is explained by GDP). Models are adjusted for maternal education (less than primary school complete, primary school or higher complete), maternal age (years), marital status (married or living together compared to single, widowed, divorced), parity, morbidity (presence of diarrhea or fever in the last 2 wk), child age (months), within-country urban or rural status.
2Type of employment was based on 4 indicators: 1) employment during the last 12 mo (yes, no); 2) occupation category (skilled, unskilled); 3) type of earnings (cash only, cash and in-kind, in-kind only, unpaid); and 4) seasonality of employment (all year, seasonally, occasionally).
3Exclusive breastfeeding was modeled as a binary variable, indicating whether infants aged 0–5 mo were fed exclusively with breast milk (n = 47,340 in 49 countries). Children (aged 6–23 mo) who achieved minimum diet diversity (n = 137,208 in 50 countries) were those who received foods from ≥4 of the following 7 food groups: grains, roots, and tubers; legumes and nuts; dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese); flesh foods (meat, fish, poultry, and liver/organ meats); eggs; vitamin A–rich fruits and vegetables; and other fruits and vegetables. Breastfed and nonbreastfed children (aged 6–23 mo) who achieved minimum meal frequency (n = 137,208 in 50 countries) were those who received solid, semisolid, or soft foods the minimum number of times or more.
4Excludes Armenia due to small cell sizes.