Informational Sources About Breastfeeding Associated with Breastfeeding Initiation: Insights into Racial Disparities

Breastfeeding provides essential nutrition and disease protection for infants while reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and breast cancer in mothers. Despite these benefits, significant racial and ethnic disparities exist in breastfeeding initiation, particularly among Black women. This study examines racial differences in the receipt of breastfeeding information from varying sources and their association with breastfeeding initiation. Data were obtained from the Phase 8 Core Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System for 2016-2020 (n = 163,724). The analysis focused on comparing the likelihood of breastfeeding initiation (yes/no) across racial groups and the impact of receiving breastfeeding information from varying clinical (mother's doctor/nurse/baby's doctor, etc.) and social sources (support group/family/friends, etc.). Univariate and multivariable analysis was conducted in SAS 9.4. Black women consistently exhibited lower odds of breastfeeding initiation compared with other racial groups, across all informational sources. The study found that while information from both clinical and social sources increased breastfeeding initiation overall, Black women remained less likely to initiate breastfeeding than White women (p < 0.0001). Systemic barriers, including racism and bias in health care, contribute to the racial disparities in breastfeeding initiation. Culturally tailored interventions and improved health care provider training are necessary to address these gaps. Future efforts should aim to bridge the divide between clinical and social breastfeeding information sources to improve breastfeeding rates among minority women.