Psychosocial and economic factors associated with infant feeding intentions of adolescent mothers.

The infant feeding intentions of 64 primiparous, adolescent females, ages 14-18 years, were studied to assess factors which differentiated those who chose breastfeeding from those who did not. The study population consisted of 43 Hispanic, 9 black, 7 non-Hispanic white, and 5 Filipino or Southeast Asian subjects interviewed after delivery. Among the Hispanics, 31 primarily spoke Spanish, and 12 primarily spoke English. A total of 72% intended to breastfeed, and 22% planned to exclusively formula feed. Those teens who intended to breastfeed were significantly older, more often married, more likely to be Hispanic and Spanish speaking, and less likely to have been in school during the pregnancy. In addition, teens were more likely to choose breastfeeding if they had been breastfed themselves or exposed to other women who breastfed. These data suggest that the younger, non-Hispanic, single teen who is enrolled in school and lacking exposure to breastfeeding is the most in need of breastfeeding-promotion programs.