Perception and Attitudes Breastfeeding in Public in New York City

Background:In the United States, 76.9% of women initiate breastfeeding but only 36.0% breastfeed exclusively for 3 months. Lack of support for public breastfeeding may prevent women from breastfeeding in public, which could contribute to low rates of breastfeeding exclusivity and continuation, despite high rates of breastfeeding initiation.Objective:This study aimed to determine whether residents of New York City, New York, were supportive of and comfortable with public breastfeeding.Methods:A population-based public opinion telephone survey of non-institutionalized New York City residents 18 years and older was conducted by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.Results:Overall, 50.4% of respondents were not supportive of public breastfeeding. In the multivariable analysis, there was significant variation in support by race/ethnicity, age, and education. There were no significant differences in support by sex, receipt of food stamps, nativity, or the presence of children younger than 1...