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. 2017 Oct 20;14(2):e12536. doi: 10.1111/mcn.12536

Table 3.

Health, demographic, and socio‐economic characteristics associated with the age of initiation of complementary feeding N = 10,931

N Multivariable analysis
<4 months 4–6 months >6 months <4 months >6 months
Total N 2,336 7,117 1,478 p of the variable p a OR 99% CI p* OR 99% CI
Health characteristics
Infant
Sex <.0001
Girl 1,044 3,531 765 <.0001 0.78 0.69–0.89 .04 1.13 0.97–1.32
Boy 1,292 3,586 713 Reference Reference
Birth rank <.0001
1st 1,114 3,370 549 Reference Reference
2nd 760 2,661 631 .006 0.78 0.65–0.94 .004 1.28 1.03–1.59
≥3 462 1,086 298 .45 1.08 0.84–1.38 .012 1.32 0.99–1.76
Birth
Mode of delivery .77
Vaginal 1,837 5,784 1,239 Reference Reference
Caesarean 463 1,213 211 .39 1.07 0.88–1.30 .73 0.97 0.76–1.24
Maternal
Post‐partum smoking <.0001
Yes 575 1,054 140 <.0001 1.32 1.11–1.56 .06 0.83 0.64–1.07
No 1,673 5,908 1,312 Reference Reference
Prepregnancy BMI (kg/m2) <.0001
<18.5 137 506 126 .04 0.80 0.61–1.06 .04 1.26 0.95–1.67
18.5–24.99 1,398 4,842 1,031 Reference Reference
25–29.99 476 1,112 214 .002 1.24 1.04–1.47 .77 1.03 0.82–1.28
≥30 307 581 93 .005 1.27 1.02–1.58 .46 0.91 0.67–1.25
Number of birth preparation classes attended <.0001
0 1,067 2,205 463 Reference Reference
1–5 455 1,556 336 .0008 0.78 0.64–0.94 .39 0.93 0.74–1.16
≥6 740 3,130 629 <.0001 0.67 0.56–0.81 .14 0.88 0.71–1.09
Familial health characteristics
Family history of allergy .36
Yes 955 2,906 673 Reference Reference
No 1,342 4,141 793 .15 0.93 0.81–1.06 .12 0.91 0.78–1.06
Demographic and socio‐economic characteristics
Maternal
Age (years) <.0001
<25 350 444 49 <.0001 1.76 1.33–2.35 .11 0.74 0.45–1.20
25–29 809 2,216 357 .002 1.24 1.04–1.47 .04 0.84 0.68–1.05
30–34 757 2,859 686 Reference Reference
≥35 420 1,598 387 .11 0.88 0.72–1.08 .58 0.96 0.77–1.18
Education level (years) .002
≤9 457 659 79 .01 1.25 1.00–1.56 .02 0.71 0.49–1.02
10–12 549 1,150 177 .47 1.06 0.88–1.27 .29 0.90 0.69–1.16
≥12 1,327 5,289 1,216 Reference
Occupation type .03
No occupation/student 67 76 14 .37 1.19 0.72–1.97 .27 1.42 0.62–3.27
Farmer/craftswoman 92 248 54 .25 1.19 0.80–1.76 .20 1.27 0.78–2.04
Executive 305 1,593 410 .03 0.82 0.65–1.04 .09 1.17 0.92–1.49
Intermediate 469 1,946 467 .02 0.85 0.71–1.02 .03 1.19 0.97–1.47
Manual worker 96 145 30 .94 1.01 0.69–1.48 .06 1.51 0.86–2.66
Office employee 1,286 3,084 497 Reference Reference
Employment status .04
Employed 1,521 5,390 1,148 Reference Reference
Unemployed 690 1,290 239 .005 1.21 1.02–1.45 .44 0.93 0.74–1.18
Independent 78 350 76 .21 0.83 0.56–1.22 .57 0.92 0.62–1.36
Paternal
Age (years) .40
<27 341 586 85 .63 1.05 0.80–1.38 .40 1.14 0.77–1.67
27–31 756 2,258 379 .91 1.00 0.84–1.21 .06 0.86 0.69–1.06
32–36 645 2,374 577 Reference Reference
≥37 550 1,840 426 .53 1.05 0.86–1.27 .54 0.95 0.77–1.17
Occupation type .05
No occupation/student 12 48 4 .005 0.36 0.14–0.92 .11 0.42 0.11–1.68
Farmer/craftsman 234 742 144 .49 .94 0.74–1.19 .51 0.93 0.70–1.24
Executive 417 1,937 512 .59 0.96 0.78–1.18 .51 1.06 0.85–1.32
Intermediate 280 1,138 229 .18 0.89 0.72–1.11 .25 0.90 0.70–1.15
Manual worker 395 712 119 .19 1.11 0.90–1.40 .99 1.00 0.74–1.35
Office employee 920 2,954 455 Reference Reference
Parental demographic characteristics
Marital status when the child was 2 months .02
Single mother 104 128 12 .04 1.57 0.90–2.77 .05 0.44 0.15–1.27
Married/civil union/living together 2,169 6,871 1,447 Reference Reference
Monthly income per consumption unit (euros) .012
<600 118 125 22 .001 1.64 1.10–2.43 .87 1.04 0.54–2.02
600–1,099 435 816 158 .39 1.07 0.87–1.32 .46 1.08 0.82–1.44
1,100–1,799 1,082 3,268 599 Reference Reference
1,800–2,999 486 2,159 551 .57 0.96 0.80–1.15 .01 1.23 1.01–1.50
≥3000 78 451 92 .12 0.79 0.54–1.16 .87 0.98 0.67–1.42
Country of birth .0002
Mother and father France 1,940 6,168 1,302 Reference Reference
Mother not‐in‐France and father France 105 338 61 .09 1.23 0.90–1.70 .004 0.65 0.44–0.95
Mother France and father not‐in‐France 152 369 70 .03 1.27 0.96–1.69 .06 0.77 0.53–1.11
Mother and father not‐in‐France 99 195 36 .009 1.47 1.01–2.14 .06 0.69 0.41–1.15
Familial caregiving characteristics
Maternal feeding practices
Duration of any breastfeeding 2,336 7,117 1,478 <.0001 <.0001 0.92 0.90–0.94 <.0001 1.1 1.08–1.13
Reasons for feeding choice at birth .02
Health and welfare of the child 802 2,807 692 Reference
Convenience 349 818 91 .90 0.99 0.80–1.23 .003 0.69 0.51–0.96
Relationship with the child 159 494 99 .18 1.15 0.88–1.51 .11 0.82 0.60–1.13
Medical advice or contraindication 348 665 90 .04 1.19 0.95–1.49 .30 0.88 0.63–1.21
Usual choice in relatives 326 1,010 247 .77 1.02 0.83–1.26 .58 1.05 0.84–1.31
Maternal concerns about child's health .39
No concerns 1,565 5,219 1,101 Reference Reference
Feeding issues 636 1,623 317 .02 1.15 0.98–1.33 .67 1.03 0.86–1.24
Other issues 26 70 18 .73 1.09 0.58–2.07 .77 1.08 0.53–2.22
Maternal reaction when her child did not eat much .004
“Did not insist” 1,040 3,328 729 Reference Reference
“Insisted or tried later” 784 2,064 350 .03 1.13 0.98–1.32 .01 0.83 0.69–1.00
“Never happened” 423 1,563 368 .38 0.94 0.79–1.13 .32 0.93 0.77–1.12
Parental caregiving characteristics
Father's presence at delivery .06
Yes 1,879 6,119 1,322 Reference Reference
No 422 907 144 .63 1.04 0.84–1.30 .14 0.34 0.63–1.13
Mother using their personal experience in child caregiving as care information source .006
Yes 1,765 5,128 1,133 .0003 1.28 1.08–1.52 .98 1.00 0.81–1.24
No 486 1,838 319 Reference Reference
Anticipated infant care arrangements for when the mother returned to work .09
Mother only 670 1,675 376 Reference Reference
Family only (father or other member) 304 686 114 .32 1.10 0.87–1.39 .76 1.04 0.75–1.43
Home nurse mainly 87 289 67 .47 1.11 0.76–1.62 .58 1.09 0.72–1.65
Nursery only 153 668 138 .01 0.76 0.57–1.01 .68 1.05 0.78–1.42
Nanny only 552 2,121 482 .34 0.93 0.76–1.13 .07 1.17 0.93–1.47
At least two caregivers except mother and home nurse 438 1,397 252 .79 1.02 0.83–1.26 .77 0.97 0.75–1.25
Others only 33 104 21 .98 1.01 0.57–1.76 .93 1.02 0.53–1.97
Distribution of the home duties between the parents .49
Equal 1,297 4,303 955 Reference Reference
Unequal more on the mother 733 2,093 378 .97 1.00 0.87–1.16 .08 0.88 0.74–1.06
Unequal more on the father 41 188 56 .84 0.96 0.60–1.55 .26 1.20 0.79–1.83

Note. Multinomial logistic regression. Multivariable model was adjusted on maternity unit size, wave of inclusion, and residential area and included all the significant variables in bivariable analysis. In italics and in bold: significant variable (p < .001); in bold: significant modality (p < .01).

a

p value of the modality compared to the reference modality.