THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CULTURAL FEEDING PRACTICES AND INFANT BODY WEIGHT AMONG DIVERSE ETHNIC GROUPS IN QATAR: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY OF INFANTS AGED 6 TO 12 MONTHS

Abstract

Qatar's urbanization presented an interesting model society to study cultural feeding practices and their effects on the infant's body weight. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the association between cultural feeding practices and the body weight of infants aged 6-12 months across various ethnic groups in Qatar. A convenience sample of 250 mothers was interviewed using a structured questionnaire, and infant weight data were collected from medical records. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze the associations between feeding practices and weight status using STATA 18.0. The intake of pulses/legumes was linked with lower odds of overweight, whereas the intake of Starchy vegetables and Formula-feeding were linked with higher odds of overweight status. Infants from the Middle East were four times more likely to be overweight than Qatari infants. Middle Eastern mothers were most concerned about child overweight and dietary intake, whereas Qataris were least concerned. This paper thus suggests that an understanding of the ethnic differences in feeding practices could help in the formulation of culturally appropriate nutritional interventions to prevent infant growth illness in Qatar.