Socio-Cultural Correlates of Breastfeeding Behavior Among Latina Mothers and Its Implications for Child Health

Latina mothers in the United States report lower rates of breastfeeding initiation and exclusivity than their non-Hispanic counterparts. Lower rates of breastfeeding in infancy may lead to a higher rate of excess weight in childhood and adverse health conditions. Breastfeeding disparities in Latina women have been previously correlated with socio-cultural factors such as acculturation, education, income, nativity, and marital status. This study examines whether socio-cultural factors are associated with breastfeeding behaviors in Latina mothers in Nevada.

Participants were Latina mothers [n = 214] over 18 years of age, with a child 2-5 years old. A logistic regression was conducted to assess the associations between acculturation, age, marital status, education, and nativity with breastfeeding.

Mothers who were married/living with their partner had 2.3 greater odds (95% CI = 1.08, 4.73; p-value < 0.05) of breastfeeding than the mothers who were not in a relationship, and mothers who were born outside the US had 4 times greater odds of breastfeeding than mothers who were born in the US (95% CI = 1.178, 13.514; p-value < 0.05). No significant association was found for acculturation (OR = 1.13; 95% CI = 0.74, 1.7; p-value = > 0.05), maternal age (OR = 1.01; 95%; CI = 0.96, 1.07; p-value = > 0.05) and education (OR = 0.81; 95% CI = 0.37, 1.8; p-value = > 0.5).

These findings suggest that a romantic partner may be supportive of breastfeeding, and foreign-born mothers may retain their cultural norm of breastfeeding. These results can be applied to develop a culturally tailored intervention to promote breastfeeding behavior.