Cultural Model of Infant Feeding Among Women in Rural and Urban Bangladesh

Author

Rumana Rahman

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Copeland, Toni

Committee Member

Hoffman, David

Committee Member

Hardin, James W.

Date of Degree

8-11-2017

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Applied Anthropology

Degree Name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures

Abstract

Cultural practices influence infant feeding choices and have a significant impact on children’s physiological growth and cognitive development. This study examined cultural knowledge of infant feeding among woman in rural and urban Bangladesh. The findings of this research indicated that there was sufficient agreement among the respondents to constitute a single shared cultural model of infant feeding among participants in Bangladesh. Results also indicated intracultural variation within this model in terms of duration of exclusive breastfeeding, age at introduction of water, and weaning practices. Better understanding infant feeding can inform future programs aimed at improving early nutrition, growth, and development by providing information about actual practices and their cultural importance.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11668/19837

Recommended Citation

Rahman, Rumana, "Cultural Model of Infant Feeding Among Women in Rural and Urban Bangladesh" (2017). Theses and Dissertations. 1236.
https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td/1236