Mothers Who Initiate Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is feeding a child human breast milk. This indicator is a count of the number of births where the mother initiated breastfeeding. It is based on data from the birth certificate and may be expressed as a percentage of births.

Breastfeeding provides unmatched health benefits for babies and mothers. It is the clinical gold standard for infant feeding and nutrition, with breast milk uniquely tailored to meet the health needs of a growing baby.

In 2021, in Alachua County, the percent of total births that were Mothers Who Initiate Breastfeeding (All) was 86.4 compared to Florida at 84.9. When an age range is not selected or shown, an ending age of 999 is used to retrieve all records up to and including the oldest age.

Alachua County is in the fourth quartile for this measure. This means that relative to other counties in Florida, the situation occurs less often in about three quarters of the counties than in Alachua County. The map illustrates county data by quartile. It is shown when there are at least 51 counties with data for this measure.

Links: Healthy People 2030|Florida Health Resources

Birth Indicators
Measure TypeAge Range
Select Ages10 Year Report
View 10 Year Report

Alachua County

Florida

CountyYearCount/RateGrouping

GroupYear

Print/PDF

* Click a legend category to hide or show that category.

FLHealthCharts.gov is provided by the Florida Department of Health, Division of Public Health Statistics and Performance Management.
Data Source:Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics

5/11/2025 2:46:12 PM

Data Note(s)

This is primary, quantitative data.

Chart will display if there are at least three years of data.
Multi-year counts are a sum of the selected years, not an average.
Use caution when interpreting rates and ratios based on small numbers of events. Rates and ratios are considered unstable if they are based on fewer than 5 cases or if the denominator (population at risk) is fewer than 20. An erratic trend line illustrates this instability.
Quartiles are calculated when data are available for at least 51 counties.
Rates are calculated using July 1 population estimates from the Florida Legislature, Office of Economic and Demographic Research which have been allocated by race based on information from the US Bureau of the Census. The population data for 2011-2021, along with rates affected by the population data, was updated on FLHealthCHARTS in November 2017. It is customary to periodically revise population estimates based on new information, such as a census or new mid-course census estimates for prior years. Revising these estimates ensures accurate accounting of the racial, ethnic, and gender distribution of the population. These changes affect the population data and rates calculated for your community.
These data are only for pregnancies that end with a live birth.
MOV - Measure of Variability: Probable range of values resulting from random fluctuations in the number of events. Not calculated when numerator is below 5 or denominator is below 20, or count or rate is suppressed. The MOV is useful for comparing rates to a goal or standard. For example, if the absolute difference between the county rate and the statewide rate is less than the MOV, the county rate is not significantly different from the statewide rate (alpha level = 0.05). When the absolute difference between the county rate and the statewide rate is greater than the MOV, the county rate is significantly different from the statewide rate. MOV should not be used to determine if the rates of two different counties, or the county rates for two different years, are statistically significantly different.
Denom - abbreviated for denominator.
Population estimates are not available for persons whose county of residence is unknown. Given this, the denominator and associated rate are not available.
* - Indicates the county rate is statistically significantly different from the statewide rate.

Print/PDF

Mothers Who Initiate Breastfeeding, Percent of Total Births, 2021

* Mouseover map to see county name and value. * Click a legend category to hide or show that category.

5/11/2025 2:46:12 PM

Data Note(s)

This is primary, quantitative data.

Multi-year counts are a sum of the selected years, not an average.
Use caution when interpreting rates and ratios based on small numbers of events. Rates and ratios are considered unstable if they are based on fewer than 5 cases or if the denominator (population at risk) is fewer than 20. An erratic trend line illustrates this instability.
Quartiles are calculated when data are available for at least 51 counties.
Rates are calculated using July 1 population estimates from the Florida Legislature, Office of Economic and Demographic Research which have been allocated by race based on information from the US Bureau of the Census. The population data for 2011-2021, along with rates affected by the population data, was updated on FLHealthCHARTS in November 2017. It is customary to periodically revise population estimates based on new information, such as a census or new mid-course census estimates for prior years. Revising these estimates ensures accurate accounting of the racial, ethnic, and gender distribution of the population. These changes affect the population data and rates calculated for your community.
These data are only for pregnancies that end with a live birth.
MOV - Measure of Variability: Probable range of values resulting from random fluctuations in the number of events. Not calculated when numerator is below 5 or denominator is below 20, or count or rate is suppressed. The MOV is useful for comparing rates to a goal or standard. For example, if the absolute difference between the county rate and the statewide rate is less than the MOV, the county rate is not significantly different from the statewide rate (alpha level = 0.05). When the absolute difference between the county rate and the statewide rate is greater than the MOV, the county rate is significantly different from the statewide rate. MOV should not be used to determine if the rates of two different counties, or the county rates for two different years, are statistically significantly different.
Denom - abbreviated for denominator.
Population estimates are not available for persons whose county of residence is unknown. Given this, the denominator and associated rate are not available.

Print/PDF

Export

Mothers Who Initiate Breastfeeding, Single Year
	Alachua				Florida
Data Year	Count	Denom	Rate	MOV	Count	Denom	Rate	MOV
2021	2,230	2,580	86.4^*	1.3	183,595	216,189	84.9	0.2
2020	2,185	2,551	85.7	1.4	179,098	209,645	85.4	0.2
2019	2,353	2,700	87.1	1.3	189,255	220,010	86.0	0.1
2018	2,334	2,731	85.5	1.3	190,949	221,508	86.2	0.1
2017	2,411	2,826	85.3	1.3	192,199	223,579	86.0	0.1
2016	2,438	2,862	85.2	1.3	193,508	225,018	86.0	0.1
2015	2,495	2,885	86.5^*	1.2	191,057	224,273	85.2	0.1
2014	2,505	2,916	85.9^*	1.3	185,186	219,905	84.2	0.2
2013	2,372	2,823	84.0^*	1.4	177,535	215,194	82.5	0.2
2012	2,372	2,879	82.4^*	1.4	172,427	212,954	81.0	0.2
2011	2,444	2,960	82.6^*	1.4	169,717	213,237	79.6	0.2
2010	2,253	2,866	78.6^*	1.5	171,905	214,519	80.1	0.2
2009	2,292	2,925	78.4	1.5	174,561	221,391	78.8	0.2
2008	2,314	2,980	77.7	1.5	180,957	231,417	78.2	0.2
2007	2,243	2,849	78.7	1.5	185,598	239,120	77.6	0.2
2006	2,178	2,837	76.8	1.6	182,645	237,166	77.0	0.2
2005	2,045	2,690	76.0	1.6	172,212	226,219	76.1	0.2
2004	1,649	2,607	63.3	1.9	138,374	218,045	63.5	0.2

5/11/2025 2:46:13 PM

Data Note(s)

This is primary, quantitative data.

Chart will display if there are at least three years of data.
Multi-year counts are a sum of the selected years, not an average.
Use caution when interpreting rates and ratios based on small numbers of events. Rates and ratios are considered unstable if they are based on fewer than 5 cases or if the denominator (population at risk) is fewer than 20. An erratic trend line illustrates this instability.
Quartiles are calculated when data are available for at least 51 counties.
Rates are calculated using July 1 population estimates from the Florida Legislature, Office of Economic and Demographic Research which have been allocated by race based on information from the US Bureau of the Census. The population data for 2011-2021, along with rates affected by the population data, was updated on FLHealthCHARTS in November 2017. It is customary to periodically revise population estimates based on new information, such as a census or new mid-course census estimates for prior years. Revising these estimates ensures accurate accounting of the racial, ethnic, and gender distribution of the population. These changes affect the population data and rates calculated for your community.
These data are only for pregnancies that end with a live birth.
MOV - Measure of Variability: Probable range of values resulting from random fluctuations in the number of events. Not calculated when numerator is below 5 or denominator is below 20, or count or rate is suppressed. The MOV is useful for comparing rates to a goal or standard. For example, if the absolute difference between the county rate and the statewide rate is less than the MOV, the county rate is not significantly different from the statewide rate (alpha level = 0.05). When the absolute difference between the county rate and the statewide rate is greater than the MOV, the county rate is significantly different from the statewide rate. MOV should not be used to determine if the rates of two different counties, or the county rates for two different years, are statistically significantly different.
Denom - abbreviated for denominator.
Population estimates are not available for persons whose county of residence is unknown. Given this, the denominator and associated rate are not available.
* - Indicates the county rate is statistically significantly different from the statewide rate.

5/11/2025 2:46:11 PM

Data Note(s)

This is primary, quantitative data.

Chart will display if there are at least three years of data.
Multi-year counts are a sum of the selected years, not an average.
Use caution when interpreting rates and ratios based on small numbers of events. Rates and ratios are considered unstable if they are based on fewer than 5 cases or if the denominator (population at risk) is fewer than 20. An erratic trend line illustrates this instability.
Quartiles are calculated when data are available for at least 51 counties.
Rates are calculated using July 1 population estimates from the Florida Legislature, Office of Economic and Demographic Research which have been allocated by race based on information from the US Bureau of the Census. The population data for 2011-2021, along with rates affected by the population data, was updated on FLHealthCHARTS in November 2017. It is customary to periodically revise population estimates based on new information, such as a census or new mid-course census estimates for prior years. Revising these estimates ensures accurate accounting of the racial, ethnic, and gender distribution of the population. These changes affect the population data and rates calculated for your community.
These data are only for pregnancies that end with a live birth.
MOV - Measure of Variability: Probable range of values resulting from random fluctuations in the number of events. Not calculated when numerator is below 5 or denominator is below 20, or count or rate is suppressed. The MOV is useful for comparing rates to a goal or standard. For example, if the absolute difference between the county rate and the statewide rate is less than the MOV, the county rate is not significantly different from the statewide rate (alpha level = 0.05). When the absolute difference between the county rate and the statewide rate is greater than the MOV, the county rate is significantly different from the statewide rate. MOV should not be used to determine if the rates of two different counties, or the county rates for two different years, are statistically significantly different.
Denom - abbreviated for denominator.
Population estimates are not available for persons whose county of residence is unknown. Given this, the denominator and associated rate are not available.
* - Indicates the county rate is statistically significantly different from the statewide rate.