Maternal and Socioeconomic Correlates of Breastfeeding Duration and CaregiverReported Nutrition-Related Morbidity among Children in Türkiye: Findings from the 2025 Türkiye Health Survey

Purpose: This study examined maternal, socioeconomic, and regional factors associated with breastfeeding duration and caregiver-reported nutrition-related morbidity among children in Türkiye.Methods: This study was a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the 2025 Türkiye Health Survey. Morbidity analyses included 6,167 children aged 0–14 years, and breastfeeding analyses included 5,596 children aged 2–14 years. Survey weights were applied, and weighted regression models were used to examine total breastfeeding duration, breastfeeding for at least 24 months, and caregiver-reported anemia, vitamin D deficiency-related bone disorder/rickets, and survey-defined nutrition-related disease.Results: Median breastfeeding duration was 15 months, and 29.6% of children had been breastfed for at least 24 months. Older maternal age at childbirth was associated with longer breastfeeding and higher odds of breastfeeding for ≥24 months, whereas maternal initiation of regular tobacco use before the child’s birth was associated with shorter total breastfeeding duration. Maternal education was associated with breastfeeding for ≥24 months but not with continuous total breastfeeding duration, while household income was not associated with either breastfeeding outcome. The weighted prevalence of caregiver-reported anemia, caregiver-reported vitamin D deficiency-related bone disorder/rickets, and surveydefined nutrition-related disease was 4.3%, 3.0%, and 2.5%, respectively. Children in the low-income group had higher odds of survey-defined nutrition-related disease than those in the high-income group, although the overall householdincome test was not statistically significant; the Statistical Regions Level 1 variable was associated with caregiver-reportedvitamin D deficiency-related bone disorder/rickets. Breastfeeding duration was not consistently associated with the three morbidity outcomes.Conclusion: Breastfeeding patterns and caregiver-reported nutrition-related morbidity showed distinct maternal, socioeconomic, and regional profiles, indicating that these dimensions should be considered separately when evaluating child nutrition in Türkiye. Longitudinal studies with clinically verified outcomes and more detailed infant-feeding information are needed to clarify these associations.