Skip to main content
. 2009 Jun 16;4:6. doi: 10.1186/1746-4358-4-6

Table 2.

Breastfeeding rates (%) and duration in P.R. China

Study site Initiation rate (%) Any breastfeeding rate at four months (%) Exclusive breastfeeding rate at four months (%) Breastfeeding duration (mean in months) Study details
Beijing** [24,27,53,54], 92.0
90.5		 58.77 39.2 (FBF) 7.7
7.4		 Cross-sectional study:
study year: 1998, n = 251
study year: 1995–1998, n = 359
study year: 2002, n = 134
study year: 2002, n = 422
Shanghai**
[55-57]		 93.0; 97.3, 56.8; 83.3; 28.1; 41.1 7.4 Retrospective study,
study year, 2002, n = 1199; Cross-sectional study,
study year, 2004, n = 1877; Cohort study, study year, 1999–2000, n = 258
Chongqing** [55,58] 95.4 44.6 22.4 5.2 Retrospective study,
study year, 2002; n = 383.
Cross-sectional study, study year, 1999; n = 603.
Guangzhou*
[39,55,59]		 93.9
96.4		 64.5; 92.8 50.5; 56.6 8.2 Retrospective study:
study year: 2002, n = 954;
study year: 1995, n = 418,;
Survey year: 1998–1999, n = 1323
Fuzhou* [60] 99.9 88.7 b 33.0 b Cross-sectional study,
study year: 1995, n = 2972
Xi'an* [55,58,61] 95.0 70.2 37.7 9.5, 5.2(U) 8.0(R) Retrospective study,
study year, 2002; n = 491,
study year, 2001, n = 9000
Cross-sectional study,
study year, 1999; n = 1201.
Changchun* [55,58] 95.7 67.2 28.6 9.2 Retrospective study,
study year, 2002; n = 385.
Cross-sectional study,
study year, 1999; n = 603
Harbin* [58,62] 71.3 (U) a
84.6 (R) a 		57.5 (U)
75.0 (R)		 28.0 Cross-sectional study,
study year: 1996, n = 603,
study year, 1999; n = 596
Chengdu* [63] 92.6 54.4 c Cross-sectional study, study year, 1995–1996; n = 1527.
Taiyuan* [64] 84.1 c 64.9 c Cross-sectional study, 1998–2002, n = 2140
Kunming* [65] 79.1 32.1 Cohort, 1993–1996, n = 913
Hubei p
[27,31]		 76 (U) a,
96.6 (R) a 		44 (U),
91.2 (R)		 60.2 (FBF) 9.8 Cross-sectional study, study year: 2002, n = 213. Retrospective study,
study year: 1998, n = 2000
Guangdongp [27,66] 94.9 87.2 b 40.0 (FBF)
38.3 b 		6.3 Cross-sectional study,
Study year: 2002, n = 135;
Study year: 1997, n = 316
Fujianp [67] 99.0 97.3 b 43.1 b Cross-sectional study,
study year: 1995, n = 1241
Jiangsup [68,69] 95.4 a 88.0 23.1–41.65 Cohort, 1996–1997, n = 1950.
Cross-sectional study,
1994–1996, n = 1065
Gansup [70], 96.0 47.6 Cross-sectional study,
study year: 2001, n = 1460
Guizhoup [70] 97.5 42.9 Cross-sectional study,
study year: 2001, n = 1460
Zhejiangp [27,71,72] 97.35(R) 52.4 (FBF); 44.0, 58.8 (R) 8.2 Cross-sectional study:
study year: 2002, n = 200; study year: 1998–1999, n = 486; study year: 1996, n = 371
Shandongp [27,73] 98.88 56.7 (FBF);
25.72 (FBF)		 12.3 Cross-sectional study,
study year: 2002, n = 220.
Cross-sectional study,
study year: 1996–2000, n = 21036.
Chengdem[74] 94.8a 92.9 76.3 Cohort study
Study year: 1999–2002, n = 1042.
Shenzhenm [75] 85.6–97.6 56.6–84.2 Cross-sectional study,
study year: 1995–2000, n = 3908.

FBF: Full breastfeeding, U: urban areas, R: rural areas.

a: at one month; b: at 3–4 months; c: at 4–6 months.

p: province; m: medium-sized city.

* Capital city of province.

** Large city (municipality directly under the Central Government).