Breast-feeding education and support: association with the decision to breast-feed

A D Deshpande; J A Gazmararian

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Breast-feeding education and support: association with the decision to breast-feed

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Breast-feeding education and support: association with the decision to breast-feed

A D Deshpande and J A Gazmararian

Effective clinical practice, Vol.3(3), pp.116-122

05/2000

PMID: 11182959

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Abstract

Rates of breast-feeding in the United States are well below the Healthy People 2000 objective of 75% and do not meet recent American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines. To identify factors associated with the initiation and duration of breast-feeding in managed care enrollees who had had a normal vaginal delivery. Telephone survey of 5213 new mothers (4 to 6 months postpartum) enrolled in commercial managed care plans (response rate 72%). Starting breast-feeding (ever vs never) and duration of breast-feeding (< or = 6 weeks vs > 6 weeks). Logistic regression models controlling for sociodemographic variables. Given the prevalence of the outcome, odds ratios were converted to relative risks (RRs). Seventy-five percent of respondents reported ever breast-feeding, and of those women, 75% reported breast-feeding for more than 6 weeks. In adjusted multivariate analyses, breast-feeding was affected by education, employment, and marital status. Women who were more likely to breast-feed were those who attended childbirth classes (RR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.20), those who received prenatal breast-feeding advice (RR, 1.24; CI, 1.19 to 1.27), and those who received postpartum breast-feeding assistance (RR, 1.31; CI, 1.15 to 1.34). Breast-feeding for more than 6 weeks postpartum was associated with education, employment status, and the adequacy of postpartum information. These findings suggest that health plans and employees may promote breast-feeding by providing breast-feeding education and support.

Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena

Poverty

United States

Humans

Infant

Male

Breast Feeding - statistics & numerical data

Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice

Socioeconomic Factors

Health Education - organization & administration

Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

Breast Feeding - psychology

Health Promotion - organization & administration

Managed Care Programs

Motivation

Female

Infant, Newborn

Details

Title: Subtitle: Breast-feeding education and support: association with the decision to breast-feed
Creators: A D Deshpande - U.S. Quality Algorithms Center for Health Care, Atlanta, Ga., USA
J A Gazmararian
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Effective clinical practice, Vol.3(3), pp.116-122
Publisher: United States
PMID: 11182959
ISSN: 1099-8128
eISSN: 1538-9685
Language: English
Date published: 05/2000
Academic Unit: Epidemiology
Record Identifier: 9983995027302771

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