Effect of a breastfeeding education and support program on breastfeeding initiation and duration in a culturally diverse group of adolescents

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the Early Experience s and Counseling for Effective Lactation (EXCEL) program on breastfeeding i nitiation and duration among adolescents on Guam. There were 244 interventi on and 163 comparison subjects. Intervention mothers had higher (p < .01) r ates of breastfeeding initiation (77.9%), were approximately twice as likel y to initiate breastfeeding (p < .05), and more (p < .05) were breastfeedin g at 2 months than comparison mothers. For each additional lesson attended, the odds for breastfeeding initiation increased by 1.098. EXCEL is a cultu rally sensitive intervention based on social learning theory.