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Table 3 Associations between participants’ characteristics and breastfeeding intention and initiation

From: Breastfeeding practices and associations with pregnancy, maternal and infant characteristics in Australia: a cross-sectional study

Characteristica

Planned to breastfeed (N = 503)

Initiated breastfeeding (N = 511)

 

n (%)

Odds ratio (95% CI)

p-value

n (%)

Odds ratio (95% CI)

p-value

Age of woman (years)

  

.29

  

.44

 18-25b

73 (90.1%)

1.0

 

346 (95.1%)

1.0

 

 26–35

343 (94.2%)

1.79 (0.76, 4.20)

 

89 (97.8%)

1.26 (0.46, 3.51)

 

 36 + 

87 (95.6%)

2.38 (0.69, 8.24)

 

76 (93.8%)

2.93 (0.55, 15.52)

 

Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, or both

  

.07

  

.12

 Yes

23 (85.2%)

0.35 (0.11, 1.07)

 

24 (88.9%)

0.36 (0.10, 1.29)

 

 Nob

480 (94.3%)

1.0

 

487 (95.7%)

1.0

 

Marital status

  

.033c

  

.026c

 Never married

36 (83.7%)

0.29 (0.11, 0.86)

 

37 (86.1%)

0.25 (0.09, 0.82)

 

 Separated or divorced

10 (100%)

0.78 (0.15, ∞)

 

10 (100%)

0.56 (0.11, ∞)

 

 Married or de factob

457 (94.6%)

1.0

 

464 (96.1%)

1.0

 

Education

  

.002c

  

.006c

 Completed high school or less

107 (87.7%)

0.15 (0.05, 0.43)

 

110 (90.2%)

0.16 (0.05, 0.50)

 

 Completed TAFE Certificate or Diploma

163 (92.6%)

0.27 (0.09, 0.77)

 

167 (94.9%)

0.32 (0.10, 1.05)

 

 Completed University, CAE, Degree or higherb

233 (97.9%)

1.0

 

234 (98.3%)

1.0

 

Disadvantage

  

.65

  

.52

 Most disadvantaged

269 (93.4%)

0.85 (0.42, 1.73)

 

273 (94.8%)

0.76 (0.34, 1.73)

 

 Least disadvantagedb

234 (94.4%)

1.0

 

238 (96.0%)

1.0

 

Pre-pregnancy BMI

(N = 459)

 

.23

(N = 464)

 

.24

 Underweight (< 18.5 kg/m2)

14 (100%)

0.96 (0.19, ∞)

 

13 (92.9%)

0.47 (0.05, 4.07)

 

 Healthy weightb (18.5–24.9 kg/m2)

217 (95.2%)

1.0

 

220 (96.5%)

1.0

 

 Overweight (25.0–29.9 kg/m2)

108 (97.3%)

1.82 (0.47, 10.38)

 

109 (98.2%)

1.98 (0.41, 9.48)

 

 Obese (≥ 30.0 kg/m2)

120 (91.6%)

0.55 (0.21, 1.46)

 

122 (93.1%)

0.49 (0.19, 1.31)

 

Pregnancy

  

.19

  

.052

 First pregnancy

179 (95.7%)

1.73 (0.76, 3.91)

 

183 (97.9%)

2.93 (0.99, 8.66)

 

 Subsequent pregnancyb

324 (92.8%)

1.0

 

328 (94.0%)

1.0

 

Type of birth

  

.93

  

.11

 Vaginal

354 (93.9%)

1.03 (0.48, 2.22)

 

363 (96.3%)

1.93 (0.86, 4.34)

 

 Caesareanb

149 (93.71)

1.0

 

148 (93.1%)

1.0

 

Pre-eclampsia

  

.61

  

1.00

 No

494 (93.9%)

1.72 (0.21, 13.96)

 

501 (95.3%)

1.46 (0.00, 7.37)

 

 Yesb

9 (90.0%)

1.0

 

10 (100%)

1.0

 

Gestational Diabetes

  

.75

  

.36

 Nob

451 (94.0%)

1.0

 

459 (95.6%)

1.0

 

 Yes

52 (92.9%)

0.84 (0.28, 2.47)

 

52 (92.9%)

0.59 (0.20, 1.80)

 

Pregnancy risk level

(N = 501)

 

.40

(N = 508)

 

.56

 Low risk

349 (94.6%)

1.38 (0.66, 2.89)

 

353 (95.7%)

1.28 (0.55, 2.96)

 

 High riskb

152 (92.7%)

1.0

 

155 (94.5%)

1.0

 

Smoked tobacco during pregnancy

  

.004c

  

.021c

 Noa

470 (94.8%)

1.0

 

476 (96.0%)

1.0

 

 Yes

33 (82.5%)

0.26 (0.11 – 0.65)

 

35 (87.5%)

0.29 (0.10, 0.83)

 

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy (AUDIT-C)

  

.29

  

.53

 No risk of harm (score = 0)b

445 (93.3%)

1.0

 

453 (95%)

1.0

 

 Low risk of harm (score = 1–2)

57 (98.3%)

4.09 (0.66 – 169.78)

 

57 (98.3%)

3.02 (0.47, 126.33)

 

 Medium risk of harm (score = 3–4)

1 (100%)

0.07 (0.00, ∞)

 

1 (100%)

0.05 (0.00, ∞)

 
  1. aAge of infant not included as it is not relevant to breastfeeding intention or initiation
  2. bReference value for Odds Ratio
  3. cStatistically significant at (α = 0.05)
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International Breastfeeding Journal

ISSN: 1746-4358