title: Why are teenagers in the United States less likely to breast-feed than older women?
abstract: Teenage mothers are much less likely than older mothers to breastfeed their infants. The lower breastfeeding rate among teenagers aged 16-19, compared with women aged 20-29, is due almost entirely to the fact that teenage mothers tend to have characteristics associated with a lower likelihood of breastfeeding among all women, such as lower educational level, lower income, and being unmarried. Even so, nearly 40% of the difference between teenage mothers aged 15 or less and mothers aged 20-29 remains unexplained by these factors and may be due to developmental aspects of adolescence, such as greater egocentricity and greater concern about body image.
authors.affiliation: RAND, Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Da Vanzo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D017533:Marital Status; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States