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. 1992 Aug;29(3):431-50.

Why are teenagers in the United States less likely to breast-feed than older women?

C E Peterson  1 , J Da Vanzo
Affiliations
  • PMID: 1426438

Why are teenagers in the United States less likely to breast-feed than older women?

C E Peterson et al. Demography. 1992 Aug.

Abstract

Teenage mothers are much less likely than older mothers to breastfeed their infants. The lower breastfeeding rate among teenagers aged 16-19, compared with women aged 20-29, is due almost entirely to the fact that teenage mothers tend to have characteristics associated with a lower likelihood of breastfeeding among all women, such as lower educational level, lower income, and being unmarried. Even so, nearly 40% of the difference between teenage mothers aged 15 or less and mothers aged 20-29 remains unexplained by these factors and may be due to developmental aspects of adolescence, such as greater egocentricity and greater concern about body image.

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