BREAST-FEEDING AND POSTPARTUM AMENORRHEA IN A TRADITIONAL SOCIETY - AHAZARDS MODEL ANALYSIS

There is considerable variation in the length of the postpartum amenor rhea during which breastfeeding suppresses fertility, both within and between societies. In this paper, we investigate the association betwe en breastfeeding and the resumption of menses and the impact of variou s biological and social covariates thereon, using data from two retros pective surveys in India. We use both univariate life table and multiv ariate time-dependent hazards techniques to analyze the data. Most pri or investigations related the impact of breastfeeding to postpartum am enorrhea by taking duration of breastfeeding as a fixed covariate. How ever, breastfeeding beyond the resumption of menstruation cannot affec t the duration of menses. Accordingly, the present study has a methodo logical focus in the sense that breastfeeding is treated as a time-dep endent covariate. We found that breastfeeding, age of mother at child' s birth, social status, level of income, religion and caste (subcaste) , and residential status have significant effects on return of menses in Indian traditional society.