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 analyzed breastfeeding initiation rates among Michigan preteen and teenage mothers (ages 12 to 19) by demographics and health behaviors. The results showed that for white mothers, the strongest predictor of breastfeeding initiation was education beyond high school. Black mothers were less likely to breastfeed if they had multiparous births.
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.
This study determined rates of breastfeeding advice given to African-American and white women by medical providers and WIC nutrition counselors. It also sought to determine whether racial differences in advice contributed to racial differences in rates of breastfeeding. Results indicated that self-reported racial identification did not predict a medical providers advice. However, being African American was associated with less likelihood of being given breastfeeding advice and greater likelihood of receiving bottle-feeding advice from WIC nutrition counselors.
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.
This research examines a nationally representative sample of births using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Birth Cohort to explore associations between rural ;urban residence and maternal race/ethnicity on breastfeeding initiation. Results indicated that associations observed for rural ;urban breastfeeding initiation differed, based on maternal race/ethnicity and poverty status. These patterns likely reflected differences in economic resources, work environments, and social support among rural minority postpartum women.
Early childhood caries (ECC) is a challenging public health problem, both in the US and elsewhere. Unfortunately, data relating to very young children's risk factors are scarce. This study assessed baseline risk factors for 18-month caries prevalence, in conjunction with a longitudinal study of high-risk children. Results suggested that early colonization by mutans streptocci (MS) and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages are significant predictors of ECC in high-risk populations.
