Maternal, Child Health and Neonatal Nursing Commons^™

Predicting Intentions To Continue Exclusive Breastfeeding For 6 Months: A Comparison Among Racial/Ethnic Groups, Yeon Bai, Shahla M. Wunderlich, Alyce D. Fly

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Scholarship and Creative Works

The purpose of this study was to explore how mothers of different races/ethnicities make decisions to continue exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for 6 months under the Theory of Planned Behavior. Participants were recruited from hospitals and WIC clinics in Central Indiana and Southern New Jersey from 2008 to 2009. Mothers (N = 236: 93 non-Hispanic African American, 72 non-Hispanic white, 71 Hispanic/Latina) completed a self-administered questionnaire that measured theoretical constructs and beliefs related to their intention to practice EBF for 6 months. Intentions to continue EBF for 6 months were similar (P = 0.15) across racial/ethnic groups. Significant proportions of the …