Anise Use and Associated Factors in Syrian Refugee Children: A Cross-sectional Descriptive Study from Türkiye

Anise tea is frequently consumed in Middle Eastern and Arab cultures to feed babies, calm them down by reducing pain, and help them sleep comfortably. We aimed to determine the factors associated with consuming anise tea in Syrian refugee children aged 0-23 months. This study was conducted in 39 refugee health centers in 5 provinces. A total of 225 mother-infant pairs were included in the study. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with consuming anise tea. 65.8% of the babies participating in the study had previously consumed anise tea. 60% of all children started consuming anise tea in the first 6 months of their lives. After adjusting for confounding factors, anise tea consumption was associated with low maternal education [AOR: 2.02 (95% CI: 1.1-3.71)], crowded home environment [AOR: 1.89 (95% CI: 1.04-3.45)], prelacteal feeding [AOR: 2.16 (95% CI: 1.07-4.35)] and perceived insufficient milk supply [AOR: 1.91 (95% CI: 1.02-3.59)]. Anise tea consumption is particularly high in Syrian infants under 6 months of age. Uncontrolled herbal tea use may lead to various side effects and giving infants any liquid other than breast milk in the first 6 months can negatively affect breastfeeding. Culturally appropriate training for infant care and nutrition should be provided to Syrian mothers starting from pregnancy.