Canadian Breastfeeding Statistics

Just came upon these statistics on Duration of Exclusive Breastfeeding in Canada; data came from the 2007-2008 Canadian Community Health Survey. 

Some highlights:

- 23.1% breastfed exclusively for >6 months

- Women with less than a secondary education were much less likely to breastfeed exclusively for the recommended six months (12.1%) than those women with post-secondary degrees (24.8%)

- Cultural/racial background had an impact; 34.3% of Asian mothers and 32.7% of "other" mothers exclusively breastfed for >6 months vs. 20.8% of "White" women

- Off-reserve women of Aboriginal descent were less likely to breastfeed exclusively for >6 months (17.5%) than non-Aboriginal women (23.5%)

- As maternal age increased, so did the percentage of mothers who breasted exclusively for >6 months

- Urban mothers were more likely to breasteed exclusively for >6 months (24.3%) than those residing in rural areas (17.7%)

- As can be seen in the diagram above, duration of breastfeeding varies widely by province; 38.2% of mothers in BC breastfed exclusively for >6 months while only 14.4% of those in the Atlantic Region did so

Hopefully researchers and health care professionals in public health can determine some of the causes of this variation and effectively decrease the variation while simulateneously encouraging a greater percent of mothers to make a commitment to exclusive breastfeeding for >6 months.  I don't mean to get up on a soapbox but there are just so many benefits of exclusive breastfeeding.

Saturday Morning Round-Up

To make up for my lack of recent updates I will try and squeeze a few interesting items into one sensational blog post!

- According to an entirely unreferenced article by Dr. Jaan Sidorov - Generation Y/Millienial physicians will be less concerned with issues of rank than their predecessors and will be more flexible by allowing other health care professionals to adopt and utilize skills sets once firmly entrenched within the medical profession.  

- I recommend checking out www.ifitweremyhome.com, which compares any (or almost any) two countries to one another based on a number of different criteria commonly linked to quality of life and sustainability such as energy usage, birth rate, earning power, employment, cost of health care etc. and provides the results to you in a neat, simple. graphic.  You can then upload your selected comparison to your Facebook page or Twitter feed.  

- If you are interested in health care and the arts and how the two meet and mingle, you should check out the open access, peer-reviewed journal The International Journal of the Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice.  Access to full-text articles is free (that's what open access means :)  The latest issue has an article about using literature to help medical students better understand issues of social justice and public heath.

If Only It Were That Simple

Don't mean to offend - this video isn't politically correct but it is amusing.

My Profession - Registered Dietitian

The profession of dietetics has a strong reputation for relying on evidence to dictate best practice. We are taught to look to the research before acting, whether it be recommending a change in diet or vitamin supplement to a patient or recommending guidelines for school food programs.  During our education, both academic and practical, we are taught many of the necessary skills to advocate for our profession because programs/services don't always see the need for a dietitian or understand our unique role. 

Dietitians of Canada has been a front-runner in providing evidence-based practice information to practicing dietitians. PEN (Practice-based Evidence in Nutrition) is a "dynamic knowledge translation subscription service." DC has recently partnered with the British Dietitian Association in offering this service.  There is a 2-week free trial available right now.  

We also have some prolific dietitian researchers who have elected to look at the practice of dietetics from different points of view (vs. the traditional medical viewpoint). Dr. Jacqui Gingrashas undertaken research from a sociological point of view and Dr. Catherine Morley has integrated the arts into her practice of dietetics - specifically textile arts and filmography.  At our next national conference, which will be held in Edmonton, there will be an inaugural "Dietitian as Artist" exhibit, which will highlight the work of dietitians in any number of creative mediums. 

My Favourite Podcasts

- Wait Wait Don't Tell Me - NPR's weekly news quiz.  Combination of improv comedy, weird news stories, and a competition.  Run time: ~45 minutes

- NPR All Songs Considered - I enjoy listening to the banter between Robin Hilton, Bob Boilen, and Stephen Thompson and although I may not always like every song the podcast exposed me to a lot of music I would never have heard otherwise.  More than one of my favourite songs/artists was discovered by listening to this show.  Run time: varies.

- White Coat Black Art (CBC) - hosted by Canadian emergency room doctor and medical journalist Dr. Brian Goldman.  An insider's perspective on the health care system and the impacts of its structure and limitations on patients and medical professionals.  Run time: ~30 minutes.

- Comedy Factory (CBC) - a great short podcast with some skits and shorts from CBC radio programming.  Hosted by Mike O'Brien.  Run time: ~15 minutes.

- Laugh Out Loud (CBC) - a half hour show showcasing stand-up comedians; typically there is a theme that ties all of the acts together.  Hosted by Craig Norris.  Run time: ~30 hour.

- Pop Culture Happy Hour (NPR) - This is a relatively new podcast that I love; regular show participants are Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham, Glen Weldon, and Linda Holmes.  It is basically about 45 minutes of funny people talking about topics related to pop culture.  

- This American Life (NPR) - Hosted by Ira Glass this podcast offers anywhere from 1-5 stories on a theme per episode.  It has been on for a long time so there are a lot of great episodes to choose from.  If you like David Sedaris' and/or Sarah Vowell's writing then you will enjoy this podcast.  Run time: ~1 hour.

- WNYC's Radiolab - science information presented with a twist.  There are full episodes that are about 1 hour and "shorts," which are closer to 15 minutes and are usually an extension of a previous full-length episode.  I love the way this show is edited.  The sound effects, music, and integration of guests/listeners into the podcast make it extra fun to listen to.

Honourable mentions: WTF with Mark Maron, DNTO (CBC), Q: The Podcast (CBC), Johathan Goldstein's Wiretap, NPR: Books, The Next Chapter (CBC), Pregtastic (for expecting Moms).