Women's Health Issues
Volume 15, Issue 2 , Pages 64-72 , March 2005

Breast-feeding initiation in low-income women: Role of attitudes, support, and perceived control

  • Amal J. Khoury, PhD, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Department of Health Services Research, Management, and Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to: Amal J. Khoury, PhD, MPH, Department of Health Services Research, Management, and Policy, University of Florida, PO Box 100195, Gainesville, FL 32610.
  • ,
  • S. Wakerul Moazzem, MBBS, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Lincoln/Lancaster County Health Department, Lincoln, Nebraska
  • ,
  • Chad M. Jarjoura, MD (FACOG, FACS)

      Affiliations

    • Shands Hospital at AGH, Shands Healthcare, Gainesville, Florida
  • ,
  • Cathy Carothers, BLA, IBCLC

      Affiliations

    • Best Start Social Marketing, Inc., Tampa, Florida
  • ,
  • Agnes Hinton, RD, DrPH

      Affiliations

    • Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Received 25 July 2003 ,Revised 9 July 2004 ,Accepted 15 September 2004.

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PII: S1049-3867(04)00116-1

doi: 10.1016/j.whi.2004.09.003

Women's Health Issues
Volume 15, Issue 2 , Pages 64-72 , March 2005