> Generalizations are often made about "minority" groups
> with no attention to the context in which their members are living. The
> culture of poverty cuts across racial/cultural/ethnic lines. The
> experiences of poor women-regardless of their racial/cultural/ethnic
> backgrounds-are likely to have many similarities. And the effect of poverty
> and racism on breastfeeding can be seen, if indirectly, in the variation of
> breastfeeding rates (and in the quality of health care received by women)
> across the US.

This is indirectly aknowledged by Dutch statisics. The Central Bureau of
Statistics (CBS) keeps track of about anything in Dutch society that can be put
into numbers. They researched breastfeeding rates in correlation to maternal
health behaviour and feeling of wellbeing, econimic status and education. It
turned out that higher education, better feeling and better health choices
(smoking, drinking and bidy weight) lead to higher incidence and duration of
breastfeeding. Most numbers were significant after correction for diffusing
factors.
There was no special column for ethnic groups, but since racisme and poverty
will probably lead to a negative feeling of well-being, suboptimal health habits
and often lower education it applies to ethnic minorities as well. In that
context it is not while they are African Americans that these mothers do not
choose to breastfeed, but their circumstances arising from being a non-white,
non-middleclass American.

I can email graphs (double languaged) to interested readers.

Geurts JJM: Borstvoeding in Nederland/Breastfeeding in the Netherlands. Mndber
gezondheid (CBS)93/9

Gonneke van Veldhuizen, IBCLC, living in Maaseik, Belgium
http://www.users.skynet.be/eurolac
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