Table 2 Breastfeeding rates (%) and duration in P.R. China

Beijing** [24, 27, 53, 54],

92.0

90.5

58.77

39.2 (FBF)

7.7

7.4

Cross-sectional study:

study year: 1998, n = 251

study year: 1995–1998, n = 359

study year: 2002, n = 134

study year: 2002, n = 422

Shanghai**

[55–57]

93.0; 97.3,

56.8; 83.3;

28.1; 41.1

7.4

Retrospective study,

study year, 2002, n = 1199; Cross-sectional study,

study year, 2004, n = 1877; Cohort study, study year, 1999–2000, n = 258

Chongqing** [55, 58]

95.4

44.6

22.4

5.2

Retrospective study,

study year, 2002; n = 383.

Cross-sectional study, study year, 1999; n = 603.

Guangzhou*

[39, 55, 59]

93.9

96.4

64.5; 92.8

50.5; 56.6

8.2

Retrospective study:

study year: 2002, n = 954;

study year: 1995, n = 418,;

Survey year: 1998–1999, n = 1323

Fuzhou* [60]

99.9

88.7 ^b

33.0 ^b

Cross-sectional study,

study year: 1995, n = 2972

Xi'an* [55, 58, 61]

95.0

70.2

37.7

9.5, 5.2(U) 8.0(R)

Retrospective study,

study year, 2002; n = 491,

study year, 2001, n = 9000

Cross-sectional study,

study year, 1999; n = 1201.

Changchun* [55, 58]

95.7

67.2

28.6

9.2

Retrospective study,

study year, 2002; n = 385.

Cross-sectional study,

study year, 1999; n = 603

Harbin* [58, 62]

71.3 (U) ^a

84.6 (R) ^a

57.5 (U)

75.0 (R)

28.0

Cross-sectional study,

study year: 1996, n = 603,

study year, 1999; n = 596

Chengdu* [63]

92.6

54.4 ^c

Cross-sectional study, study year, 1995–1996; n = 1527.

Taiyuan* [64]

84.1 ^c

64.9 ^c

Cross-sectional study, 1998–2002, n = 2140

Kunming* [65]

79.1

32.1

Cohort, 1993–1996, n = 913

Hubei ^p

[27, 31]

76 (U) ^a,

96.6 (R) ^a

44 (U),

91.2 (R)

60.2 (FBF)

9.8

Cross-sectional study, study year: 2002, n = 213. Retrospective study,

study year: 1998, n = 2000

Guangdong^p [27, 66]

94.9

87.2 ^b

40.0 (FBF)

38.3 ^b

6.3

Cross-sectional study,

Study year: 2002, n = 135;

Study year: 1997, n = 316

Fujian^p [67]

99.0

97.3 ^b

43.1 ^b

Cross-sectional study,

study year: 1995, n = 1241

Jiangsu^p [68, 69]

95.4 ^a

88.0

23.1–41.65

Cohort, 1996–1997, n = 1950.

Cross-sectional study,

1994–1996, n = 1065

Gansu^p [70],

96.0

47.6

Cross-sectional study,

study year: 2001, n = 1460

Guizhou^p [70]

97.5

42.9

Cross-sectional study,

study year: 2001, n = 1460

Zhejiang^p [27, 71, 72]

97.35(R)

52.4 (FBF); 44.0, 58.8 (R)

8.2

Cross-sectional study:

study year: 2002, n = 200; study year: 1998–1999, n = 486; study year: 1996, n = 371

Shandong^p [27, 73]

98.88

56.7 (FBF);

25.72 (FBF)

12.3

Cross-sectional study,

study year: 2002, n = 220.

Cross-sectional study,

study year: 1996–2000, n = 21036.

Chengde^m[74]

94.8^a

92.9

76.3

Cohort study

Study year: 1999–2002, n = 1042.

Shenzhen^m [75]

85.6–97.6

56.6–84.2

Cross-sectional study,

study year: 1995–2000, n = 3908.