The WIC Infant-Feeding Practices Study was a nationally representative 1-year longitudinal study of WIC participants that obtained information about attitudes regarding infant feeding and infant-feeding practices. Results indicated that all ethnic groups were concerned about insufficient milk. Hispanic mothers were more likely to agree with the statements about the benefits of breastfeeding. Black mothers were more likely to agree with statements about barriers. These results could help inform a redesign of the WIC breastfeeding promotion campaign.
This study examines the factors associated with breastfeeding initiation for low-income women. Women who were older, white, non-Hispanic, college educated, married, not certified for WIC, and not working full time were more likely to breastfeed than formula feed at hospital discharge.
The study assessed the efficacy of peer counseling to promote exclusive breastfeeding among low-income inner-city women in Hartford, Connecticut. The results indicated that well-structured intensive breastfeeding support provided by hospital and community-based peer counselors was effective in improving exclusive breastfeeding rates among low-income inner-city women.
To evaluate the effectiveness of an existing breastfeeding peer counseling program within the US, researchers conducted a randomized control trial, with peer counseling as an intervention. The proportion of mothers who initiated breastfeeding was significantly higher in the intervention group. These findings demonstrated that, in the US, peer counselors could significantly improve breastfeeding initiation and duration rates.
This study involved conducting focus group discussions on breastfeeding beliefs and perceptions with low-income pregnant women and new mothers receiving services from WIC. Participants identified time, embarrassment, and pain as barriers to breastfeeding; discussed decision-making efforts regarding breastfeeding; identified cultural beliefs related to breastfeeding; and discussed the lack of care-provider support for breastfeeding.
This study assessed the impact of an educational breastfeeding intervention on the knowledge, attitudes, and perceived ability to access breastfeeding resources among Spanish-speaking Latino families making breastfeeding decisions. The results suggested that teaching a lactation class in Spanish to Latino women significantly increased their willingness to breastfeed. It also empowered them by increasing their belief that they could breastfeed, even if they worked or attended school; that they would not have a problem with insufficient milk; and that they would not need to limit their diet to breastfeed.
This study applied a social ecological framework to investigate reasons for lagging breastfeeding rates among African-American women. Results show that macro-level factors;such as the media, aggressive marketing of breast milk substitutes, welfare reform, hospital policy, and breastfeeding legislation; interact with micro-level factors to influence a woman's decision to breastfeed.
The authors examines infant-feeding practices and maternal diet in Mexican immigrant families in California. researchers found that mothers living in the US for fewer than 6 years breastfed their infants exclusively for at least 16 weeks. In addition, 20% of mothers living in the US from 6 years to 15 years and 17% of mothers living in the US for more than 15 years exclusively breastfed. Longer duration of residence in the US was associated with significantly higher intakes of vegetables, low-fat milk, salty snacks, animal protein, and cereals.
The objective of this study was to examine racial, ethnic, and regional (rural versus urban) trends in breastfeeding initiation among low-income women in North Carolina, from 2003 to 2007. The research determined that women in rural areas, particularly non-Hispanic blacks, were less likely to initiate breastfeeding. Increased emphasis should be placed on developing breastfeeding interventions for rural communities, particularly targeting the non-Hispanic black population.
This research documented racial/ethnic differences in breastfeeding duration among mothers from seven diverse racial/ethnic groups in rural and urban areas of the US. The findings suggested that breastfeeding initiation rates and breastfeeding durations of 6 months were lower among WIC-eligible mothers, compared with all mothers. WIC-eligible foreign-born Mexican-Origin Hispanic (FBMOH) mothers were most likely to breastfeed for 6 months.
