title: Assessing infant breastfeeding beliefs among low-income mexican americans.
abstract: Focus groups were conducted with low-income, pregnant women and new mothers receiving services from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC program) along with their male partners and their mothers. All participants were Hispanics of Mexican American origin. The topics for the focus-group discussions were breastfeeding beliefs and perceptions. All participants were aware of the benefits of breastfeeding. Participants identified time, embarrassment, and pain as barriers to breastfeeding; discussed decision-making efforts regarding breastfeeding; identified cultural beliefs related to breastfeeding; and discussed the lack of care-provider support for breastfeeding.
authors.affiliation: S ara G ill is an assistant professor in the Department of Family Nursing Care, School of Nursing at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
authors.forename: Sara L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Reifsnider
authors.forename: Angela R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.forename: Patty
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Villarreal
authors.forename: Mindy B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Tinkle