229420 Predictors of exclusive breastfeeding among adolescent and adult first-time mothers

Tuesday, November 9, 2010 : 8:30 AM - 8:50 AM

Miranda R. Waggoner, MA , Department of Sociology & The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
Lane Volpe, PhD , Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Louisville, CO
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that mothers breastfeed exclusively for the first six months. Breastfeeding awareness campaigns have touted this same recommendation, and Healthy People 2010 included the goal of increasing breastfeeding rates. However, social science research finds that women face social obstacles when attempting to breastfeed. Indeed, exclusive breastfeeding rates in the U.S. remain low, and studies have found adolescent breastfeeding rates to lag behind those of adult mothers. We analyze data from the Parenting for the First Time study, which prospectively followed the infant feeding practices of three groups of new mothers (adolescents, low-education adults, and high-education adults) from the prenatal period (N=677) through the first three years postpartum. Among adolescent mothers, 27% indicated during the prenatal period that they would like to exclusively breastfeed their baby; at the six-month assessment, only 2.9% of adolescents reported exclusive breastfeeding. Of adult mothers with a low level of education, 37.1% indicated plans to breastfeed exclusively; 7.3% did. Among adult mothers with a high level of education, 70.9% planned to exclusively breastfeed and 18.4% breastfed exclusively at six months. The differences between these groups of mothers were statistically significant (p < .000). Variables that influence breastfeeding, such as social impediments and social supports, are examined. Results reveal an impasse between maternal breastfeeding intentions and behavior, especially among young mothers. Research should aim to tease out maternal breastfeeding intentions and outcomes, and public health messages should account for and reflect the social realities that women face when engaging in infant feeding.

Learning Areas:
Public health or related education
Public health or related public policy
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the social supports and impediments that face new mothers when breastfeeding. 2. Compare across different groups of mothers to flesh out differences in breastfeeding rates among adolescents and adults with different education levels. 3. Analyze the predictors for breastfeeding behaviors among a diverse group of new mothers. 4. Discuss interventions.

Keywords: Breast Feeding, Maternal and Child Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to present because I conduct doctoral-level research on maternal and child health issues.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.