A self-administered survey questionnaire was distributed to 346 high school and 244 college students in Alabama to explore their perceptions of breastfeeding. Only 135 acknowledged having been breastfed. Embarrassment was perceived as a major barrier to breastfeeding; less than half thought breastfeeding should be done publicly. However, respondents had generally positive attitudes about breastfeeding. They intended to support breastfeeding of their own child; thought that breastfeeding was more healthful than bottle-feeding and more convenient; and that breastfeeding is not obscene nor does it make a woman less attractive. Over half received breastfeeding information from home, school, and television. Further, both high school and college students supported breastfeeding education in schools. These findings suggest that although fears of embarrassment is a major barrier to breastfeeding, the students showed overall positive attitudes about breastfeeding despite the region's low breastfeeding rate. Breastfeeding promotional programs should address the stigma of embarrassment associated with breastfeeding.

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Ninety-eight adults ranging from 20 to 89 years in age (52 blacks, 46 whites, 48 males, 50 females) were tested for lactose maldigestion by breath hydrogen analysis after consuming milk containing 16.5 g lactose (360 ml milk). Older adults (> or = 50 years) displayed a significantly higher incidence (46%) of lactose maldigestion than younger adults (< 50 years, 26%). In younger adults there were 2.4 times more maldigesters in blacks than in whites, while in older groups this ratio was 3.6. Level of breath hydrogen significantly increased with age up to the age group of 60-69 years. The interaction between age groups and race was highly significant. Of the maldigesters, 63% reported symptoms and 3% of the total sample reported severe symptoms. Results of this study indicate that the prevalance of lactose maldigestion significantly increases with age in blacks compared to whites and that the magnitude of the problem may be greater in black maldigesters than in white maldigesters.

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