Objectives: (1) To determine whether mothers' decisions to initiate and continue breastfeeding are associated with life stressors. (2) To determine whether the relationships found in (1) vary by socioeconomic status or race.
Data: Multi-state data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System coordinated by the CDC. Mothers were asked about thirteen life stressors. Measures of socioeconomic status included education, and Medicaid and WIC during pregnancy. Demographic data were also available.
Methods: Indicators were coded for at least one, at least three, and at least six life stressors. Weighted analyses were performed because of the complex sampling design. Breastfeeding initiation was analyzed using logistic regression. Among mothers who initiated breastfeeding, duration was analyzed using linear regression. Data from married and unmarried women were analyzed separately. Explanatory variables included life stressor indicators, socioeconomic status measures, age, race, and state indicators and interaction terms between the number of stressors and education, Medicaid, and race.
Results: Among both married and unmarried mothers, those who were Black, on Medicaid, or on WIC were significantly (p<=0.05) less likely to initiate. No significant interaction effects were found. Having at least one stressor was associated with a larger decrease in duration among married mothers on Medicaid than on those not on Medicaid. Among unmarried mothers, having at least one stressor was associated with decreased duration, but the socioeconomic measures had neither main nor interaction effects.
Conclusions: Interventions to sustain breastfeeding should be adaptable to women of different marital and socioeconomic status who face different stressors.
Learning Objectives: At the end of the session, the participant will be able to:
Keywords: Breastfeeding, Stress
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.