The relative importance of social class and maternal education for breast-feeding initiation.
OBJECTIVE
To examine changes in breast-feeding take-up rates among young children in Scotland and to assess whether maternal education or occupation-based social class is a stronger and better predictor of breast-feeding take-up.


METHODS
Binary logistic regression models were developed from the first sweep of the Growing Up in Scotland longitudinal survey, for the two cohorts of children.


METHODS
A national representative survey for Scotland.


METHODS
A baby cohort of 5012 singletons born over a 12-month period between June 2004 and May 2005, and a toddler cohort of 2732 singletons born over a 12-month period between June 2002 and May 2003.


RESULTS
Mothers from more privileged social classes and those with more educational qualifications resulted as more likely to breast-feed. However, maternal education was a better and more robust predictor of breast-feeding take-up compared with social class. There were no significant differences in breast-feeding take-up between the two cohorts and only minor differences between mothers aged 20-29 years and those who stated an intention to bottle-feed prior to birth.


CONCLUSIONS
The study suggests that the importance of maternal education in influencing breast-feeding has been somewhat overlooked in research based in more developed countries. The results indicate that, compared with occupation-related social class, maternal education is a more informative, accurate and useful lens through which to understand and explain patterns of breast-feeding take-up.
Skafida
Valeria
V
Department of Social Policy, University of Edinburgh, and the Centre for Research on Families and Relationships, 23 Buccleuch Place, Edinburgh EH8 9LN, UK. valeria.skafida@ed.ac.uk
D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012923:Social Class; D055815:Young Adult