Table 1.
Sociodemographic Characteristics of Mothers Enrolling in the Study of Women Across the Nation–Heart Study*
| Consistent Lactation (n=121) | Inconsistent Lactation (n=84) | No Lactation (n=92) | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (y) | 50±3 | 51±3 | 51±3 | .09 |
| Live births | 2±1 | 3±1 | 2±1 | .03 |
| Late perimenopausal/postmenopausal† | 40 (33) | 42 (50) | 44 (48) | .02 |
| African American | 37 (26) | 44 (52) | 49 (53) | <.001 |
| Education | <.001 | |||
| High school or less | 7 (6) | 12 (14) | 27 (29) | |
| Some college | 27 (22) | 26 (31) | 36 (39) | |
| More than college graduate | 87 (72) | 46 (55) | 29 (32) | |
| Financial strain | 2 (2) | 7 (8) | 7 (8) | .04 |
| Current smoker | 11 (10) | 11 (14) | 18 (20) | .11 |
| Physical activity | 8.3±2 | 7.8±2 | 8.0±2 | .09 |
| Daily dietary intake | ||||
| Calories (kcal) | 1,872 (1,453–2,246) | 1,872 (1,394–2,352) | 1,787 (1,424–2,353) | .94 |
| Cholesterol (mg) | 201 (143–264) | 208 (144–254) | 224 (163–304) | .10 |
| Fat (g) | 68 (51–86) | 66 (43–85) | 69 (51–92) | .80 |
| Fiber (g) | 12 (10–15) | 11 (8–16) | 9 (7–13) | <.001 |
| Sodium (mg) | 2,396 (1,826–2,973) | 2,156 (1,546–2,826) | 2,137 (1,567–2,575) | .07 |
| Vitamin supplement | 62 (53) | 45 (59) | 46 (53) | .67 |
Data are mean±standard deviation, n (%), or median (lower–upper interquartile range) unless otherwise specified.
P values are from analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis test, Student t tests, and χ2 tests, as appropriate.
*
Consistent lactation=breastfed all children for 3 months or more; inconsistent lactation=breastfed any child for less than 3 months.
†
Amenorrhea for 3 or more consecutive months.