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Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Public Opinion about Breastfeeding: The 1999–2000 Healthstyles Surveys in the United States

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Protecting Infants through Human Milk

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 554))

Abstract

African American women in the United States have been reported to be less likely than whites to initiate and maintain breastfeeding (Li et al. 2002; Ryan 1997). Previous studies examining the basis of racial/ethnic disparities in breastfeeding behaviors mainly involved pregnant and lactating women (Scott 1999; Tan & Jeffery 1995). Because women’s choices of feeding practice are influenced by attitudes of people with whom they have contact (Humphreys et al. 1998), understanding the racial/ethnic disparities in public opinions that shape women’s breastfeeding behaviors is important. The purpose of this study was to examine racial/ethnic disparities in public knowledge about the health benefits of breastfeeding and public perceptions about barriers to breastfeeding.

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© 2004 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Li, R., Fridinger, F., Grummer-Strawn, L. (2004). Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Public Opinion about Breastfeeding: The 1999–2000 Healthstyles Surveys in the United States. In: Pickering, L.K., Morrow, A.L., Ruiz-Palacios, G.M., Schanler, R.J. (eds) Protecting Infants through Human Milk. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 554. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4242-8_24

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4242-8_24

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-3461-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-4242-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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