Bivariate analyses of attitudes towards breast-feeding

1,790 postpartum women were asked about their breast-feeding attitude, physical and other attitudinal variables. Bivariate analyses were conducted between attitude and each of 38 other variables. Of the causally independent variables, education and occupation were the most strongly related to attitude, and along with doctor's preference were perhaps the most important influences on a mother's baby-feeding attitude. No physical or health measure was strongly related to attitude towards breast-feeding, although there were consistent associations between favourable attitudes and optimal categories of the physical and health variables. A hypothesized model of the influences on breast-feeding attitude and behaviour is presented.