WHAT PREDICTS BREAST-FEEDING INTENTION IN MEXICAN-AMERICAN AND NON-HISPANIC WHITE WOMEN - EVIDENCE FROM A NATIONAL SURVEY

We examined the effects of a series of predictors on the prepartum int ention to breastfeed in both Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white w omen. A national sample included 430 Mexican-American women and 3659 n on-Hispanic white women who had a pregnancy in 1988. Prenatal behavior al, sociodemographic, and biomedical information was obtained through the 1988 National Maternal and Infant Health Survey. Two dependent var iables were constructed to identify significant predictors of breastfe eding intention. exclusive versus partial and bottle-feeding, and excl usive and partial versus bottle-feeding. Results from the multiple log istic regression models indicated that advice to breastfeed at prenata l care was the strongest predictor of intentions in both Mexican-Ameri can (OR = 2.15, OR = 1.86) and non-Hispanic white mothers (OR = 2.29, OR = 3.61). In Mexican-Americans the father's being Hispanic was negat ively associated with breastfeeding intention (OR = 0.63). In non-Hisp anic whites the advice to formula feed at the Women, Infants, and Chil dren's nutrition program was a significant negative predictor of breas tfeeding intention (OR = 0.33, for exclusive and partial breastfeeding vs exclusive bottle-feeding). These results have important implicatio ns for public health policy and practice.