Mulready-Ward Candace, Hackett Martine
1New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of Maternal, Infant and Reproductive Health, Long Island City, NY, USA.
J Hum Lact. 2014 May;30(2):195-200. doi: 10.1177/0890334414524988. Epub 2014 Mar 10.
In the United States, 76.9% of women initiate breastfeeding but only 36.0% breastfeed exclusively for 3 months. Lack of support for public breastfeeding may prevent women from breastfeeding in public, which could contribute to low rates of breastfeeding exclusivity and continuation, despite high rates of breastfeeding initiation.
This study aimed to determine whether residents of New York City, New York, were supportive of and comfortable with public breastfeeding.
A population-based public opinion telephone survey of non-institutionalized New York City residents 18 years and older was conducted by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Overall, 50.4% of respondents were not supportive of public breastfeeding. In the multivariable analysis, there was significant variation in support by race/ethnicity, age, and education. There were no significant differences in support by sex, receipt of food stamps, nativity, or the presence of children younger than 12 years in the home. One-third (33.2%) of respondents were uncomfortable with women breastfeeding near them in public. There was significant variation by education in the multivariable analysis. Lack of comfort was highest among those with a high school education or less (39.9%) and some college (33.8%).
New York City residents are conflicted about whether breastfeeding is a private act or one that can be done in public. For women who want to continue with their intention to breastfeed exclusively, the negative opinion of other residents may cause them to breastfeed only in private, thereby limiting the opportunity to breastfeed for the recommended time.
在美国，76.9%的女性开始进行母乳喂养，但只有36.0%的女性纯母乳喂养3个月。缺乏对公共场所母乳喂养的支持可能会阻碍女性在公共场所进行母乳喂养，这可能导致纯母乳喂养率和持续母乳喂养率较低，尽管母乳喂养开始率较高。
本研究旨在确定纽约市居民是否支持并接受公共场所母乳喂养。
纽约市卫生和精神卫生部门对18岁及以上未住院的纽约市居民进行了一项基于人群的民意电话调查。
总体而言，50.4%的受访者不支持公共场所母乳喂养。在多变量分析中，不同种族/族裔、年龄和教育程度的支持率存在显著差异。在性别、是否领取食品券、出生地或家中是否有12岁以下儿童方面，支持率没有显著差异。三分之一（33.2%）的受访者对女性在公共场所靠近自己进行母乳喂养感到不适。在多变量分析中，教育程度存在显著差异。高中及以下学历（39.9%）和部分大学学历（33.8%）的人群中，不适感最高。
纽约市居民对于母乳喂养是一种私人行为还是可以在公共场所进行存在分歧。对于那些希望继续坚持纯母乳喂养的女性来说，其他居民的负面看法可能会导致她们只在私下进行母乳喂养，从而限制了按推荐时间进行母乳喂养的机会。
