Breastfeeding Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Breastfeeding, including details on breast feeding benefits, problems, alcohol, diet.

Country of origin and race/ethnicity: impact on breastfeeding intentions.

Bonuck KA, Freeman K, Trombley M

Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, the Bronx, New York 10467, USA.

This article reports on breastfeeding intentions of Hispanic and black women by country of origin (continental US born or foreign born) in a low-income population that has experienced demographic shifts. Data were derived from prenatal interviews with 382 women from 2 community clinics. Primary outcome measures were intentions to formula feed, breastfeed, or formula and breastfeed. Foreign-born women were significantly more likely to intend to only breastfeed (42% vs 24% for continental US born, P < .05). In multivariate analyses, country of origin and having breastfed a previous child were the only significant predictors of breastfeeding intention. In contrast to previous work, black (non-Hispanic) and Hispanic women's breastfeeding plans were similar. This finding coincides with dramatic increases in the numbers of blacks from West Indian countries-where breastfeeding is the norm-in the study locale.

Published 22 August 2005 in J Hum Lact, 21(3): 320-6.
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