title: Comparison of influences on breastfeeding initiation of firstborn children, 1960-69 vs 1970-79.
abstract: This study compares the determinants of breastfeeding initiation of firstborn children in two periods, 1960-69 and 1970-79, using data on 782 women from the RAND Health Insurance Experiment. The 1960-69 period covers the end of the decline in breastfeeding rates in the U.S.; the 1970-79 period was one of rapid resurgence in those rates. Different combinations of sociodemographic and birth-specific variables are significant in each period. The effects of race and administration of painkiller on breastfeeding changed significantly between periods. However, increased interest in health-promoting behavior is responsible for most of the upward pressure on breastfeeding rates over the period studied.
authors.affiliation: Policy and Evaluation Division, U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington, DC 20523-1819.
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Starbird
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001722:Birth Order; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D011295:Prenatal Care; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States