Rassin D K, Richardson C J, Baranowski T, Nader P R, Guenther N, Bee D E, Brown J P
Pediatrics. 1984 Feb;73(2):132-7.
Breast-feeding has been shown to have increased in incidence during recent years in the United States. However, this increase is not particularly evident in lower socioeconomic groups. Factors associated with the decision to breast-feed or not were investigated in a population of 379 mothers. Self-completed questionnaires were obtained from 94.5% of these mothers. Data with respect to demographics, reproductive history, prenatal care, and education were collected. Only 27.2% of the study population indicated that they intended to breast-feed. Using the chi2 test for equality of proportions, marital status, head of household, maternal and paternal ethnicity, maternal education, income, and number of pregnancy were found to be the most important variables associated with breast-feeding. The effect of ethnicity predominated over that of the other demographic variables when they were examined jointly within ethnic groups. The effect of ethnicity was apparent when the number of each ethnic group in the study population was compared with the percent of that group that intended to breast-feed: 145 Anglo-Americans, 43.5% breast-feeding; 131 black Americans, 9.2%; 62 Mexican Americans, 22.6%; 19 others, 42.1%. The importance of ethnicity in the decision to breast-feed has probably been underestimated. Efforts to increase breast-feeding in the United States ought to be designed with full consideration of this factor.
近年来，美国母乳喂养的发生率有所上升。然而，这种上升在社会经济地位较低的群体中并不特别明显。在379名母亲组成的人群中，对与母乳喂养决定相关的因素进行了调查。94.5%的母亲填写了自填式问卷。收集了有关人口统计学、生殖史、产前护理和教育的数据。只有27.2%的研究人群表示他们打算进行母乳喂养。使用卡方检验比例相等，发现婚姻状况、户主、母亲和父亲的种族、母亲教育程度、收入和怀孕次数是与母乳喂养相关的最重要变量。在种族群体中联合检查时，种族的影响超过了其他人口统计学变量。当将研究人群中每个种族群体的数量与该群体打算母乳喂养的百分比进行比较时，种族的影响很明显：145名盎格鲁 - 美国人，43.5%进行母乳喂养；131名非裔美国人，9.2%；62名墨西哥裔美国人，22.6%；19名其他种族，42.1%。种族在母乳喂养决定中的重要性可能被低估了。在美国，增加母乳喂养的努力应该在充分考虑这一因素的情况下进行设计。
