Table 1 Characteristics of mothers participating in WIC in seven program locations (n = 1161)

Total sampled

103

88

89

524

256

12

89

Socio-demographic factors

 Mother's age (years), mean (*SD)

25 (5)

26 (25)

23 (28)

27 (14)

27 (10)

19 (37)

27 (5)

 Infant’s age (weeks), mean (SD)

13 (8)

12 (9)

3 (2)

11 (8)

7 (4)

8 (11)

11 (8)

 Infant’s age (%)

   < 8 weeks

34 (33)

33 (37)

85 (96)

216 (41)

130 (51)

8 (67)

38 (43)

  8–16 weeks

26 (25)

19 (22)

4 (4)

133 (25)

123 (48)

1 (8)

23 (26)

   > 16 weeks

43 (42)

36 (41)

0

175 (33)

3 (1)

3 (25)

28 (32)

 Education (%)

   < High school graduate

16 (16)

7 (8)

21 (26)

99 (20)

49 (20)

2 (17)

15 (17)

   ≥ High school graduate

83 (84)

78 (92)

59 (74)

409 (80)

196 (80)

10 (83)

74 (83)

  missing

4

3

9

16

11

 Marital status (%)

  Married/living with partner

67 (68)

42 (49)

43 (54)

317 (62)

128 (53)

9 (75)

63 (71)

  Single

32 (32)

43 (51)

37 (46)

191 (38)

115 (47)

3 (25)

26 (29)

  missing

4

3

9

16

13

 Employment status (%)

  Unemployed

62 (63)

54 (64)

57 (71)

380 (75)

154 (63)

6 (50)

60 (67)

  Employed

37 (37)

30 (36)

23 (29)

128 (25)

89 (37)

6 (50)

29 (33)

  missing

4

4

9

16

13

 Race/Ethnicity (%)

  Caucasian/White

36 (36)

3 (4)

21 (27)

102 (21)

198 (86)

2 (18)

66 (76)

  Asian/Pacific Islander

0

6 (8)

2 (3)

35 (7)

1 (0)

2 (18)

0

  Black/African American

2 (2)

54 (69)

7 (9)

50 (10)

15 (7)

4 (36)

0

  American Indian/Alaska Native

28 (28)

0

0

6 (1)

0

0

2 (2)

  Hispanic/Latina

6 (6)

11 (14)

39 (49)

249 (51)

4 (2)

2 (18)

14 (16)

  Multiracial

27 (27)

4 (5)

5 (6)

46 (9)

11 (5)

1 (9)

4 (5)

  Other

0

0

5 (6)

2 (1)

2 (1)

0

1 (1)

  missing

4

10

10

34

25

1

2

 Has an adult support for baby (%)

80 (81)

54 (64)

52 (64)

357 (70)

168 (69)

9 (75)

67 (75)

  missing

4

3

8

16

13

 Current smoker (%)

11 (11)

5 (6)

7 (7)

14 (3)

44 (18)

1 (8)

4 (5)

  missing

4

3

8

16

11

Obstetric factors

 Parity (%)

  multiparity

57 (55)

57 (65)

57 (64)

353 (67)

165 (64)

12 (100)

56 (63)

  primiparity

46 (45)

31 (35)

32 (36)

171 (33)

91 (36)

0

33 (37)

 Cesarean section (%)

34 (33)

32 (36)

29 (35)

145 (28)

82 (32)

6 (50)

21 (24)

  missing

5

3

 Prematurity (%)

12 (12)

15 (17)

18 (21)

43 (8)

28 (11)

3 (25)

8 (9)

  missing

5

3

Breastfeeding-related factors

 Exclusive breastfeeding (%)

32 (31)

27 (31)

17 (20)

202 (39)

57 (22)

5 (42)

61 (69)

  missing

2

3

 Currently breastfeeding (%)

51 (50)

73 (83)

56 (63)

429 (82)

95 (37)

8 (67)

78 (88)

 Ever breastfeed (%)

88 (85)

86 (98)

71 (80)

510 (98)

173 (68)

9 (75)

87 (98)

  missing

1

 Received breastfeeding promotion (%)

91 (88)

71 (81)

62 (70)

418 (80)

202 (79)

9 (75)

68 (76)

 History of breastfeeding (%)

44 (43)

46 (52)

40 (46)

304 (58)

106 (41)

10 (83)

51 (57)

  missing

1

 Received information from any breastfeeding support group (%)

23 (23)

29 (33)

12 (14)

102 (20)

42 (17)

4 (33)

17 (19)

  missing

4

3

4

1

 WIC breastfeeding consultation (%)

97 (95)

66 (75)

68 (80)

469 (90)

208 (83)

10 (83)

76 (86)

  missing

1

4

3

4

1