title: Social Contexts of Infant Feeding and Infant Feeding Decisions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infant feeding takes place within a network of social relationships. However, the social context in which infant feeding advice is received remains underresearched.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to evaluate the social contexts of infant feeding by examining individual and relationship characteristics of mothers and network members associated with advice to exclusively breastfeed, exclusively formula feed, or use a combination of breast milk and formula.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information about 287 network members was reported by 80 low-income mothers during a one-time survey. Characteristics of relationships associated with mothers receiving advice (exclusively breastfeed/formula feed, combination feed) from each network member were identified using 2-level logistic regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mothers had greater odds of receiving advice to exclusively breastfeed from network members who help make feeding decisions (odds ratio [OR], 2.44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.35-4.42), exclusively breastfed their own child or children (OR, 6.99; 95% CI, 2.96-16.51), and were health care providers (OR, 4.82; 95% CI, 1.70-13.67). Mothers had greater odds of receiving advice to breastfeed in combination with formula from network members who provided emotional support (OR, 2.45; 95% CI, 1.31-4.55), combination fed their own child or children (OR, 4.85; 95% CI, 1.80-13.05), and had an opinion that was important to the mother (OR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.13-6.33). Mothers had greater odds of receiving advice to exclusively formula feed from network members who exclusively formula fed their own child or children (OR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.07-4.66) than those who did not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Social relationship characteristics and network members' infant feeding experiences may have implications for the advice new mothers receive. Future research should investigate social contexts of infant feeding longitudinally to inform interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community and Behavioral Health, University of Iowa College of Public Health, Iowa City, IA, USA ellen-schafer@uiowa.edu.
authors.forename: Ellen J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Schafer
authors.affiliation: Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.
authors.forename: Natalie A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Memphis School of Public Health, Memphis, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Siri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Digney
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Marion E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Hare
authors.affiliation: Department of Community and Behavioral Health, University of Iowa College of Public Health, Iowa City, IA, USA.
authors.forename: Sato
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ashida
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001903:Bottle Feeding / Q000523:psychology*; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D016015:Logistic Models; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013714:Tennessee; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: behaviors; breastfeeding; breastfeeding support