Table 3

Correlations between Catholic and Protestant proportions and breast feeding initiation rates in French Departments, Irish counties and Canadian provinces

	Catholic proportion	Protestant† proportion	‘No religion’ proportion
French Departments (n=94)
Unadjusted correlation	−0.31**	0.39***	−0.05
Correlation adjusted for GDP per capita	−0.29**	0.36**	−0.09
Correlation adjusted for GDP per capita and population density	−0.27**	0.32**	−0.07
Irish counties (n=26)
Unadjusted correlation	−0.34	0.02	0.55**
Correlation adjusted for GDP per capita	−0.23	0.20	0.33
Correlation adjusted for GDP per capita and population density	−0.23	0.19	0.38
UK countries (n=4)
Unadjusted correlation	−0.78	0.53	0.46
Correlation adjusted for GDP per capita	−0.93	0.86	0.47
Correlation adjusted for GDP per capita and population density	−0.79	−0.15	0.93
Canadian provinces (n=13)
Unadjusted correlation	−0.58*	−0.34	0.79**
Correlation adjusted for GDP per capita	−0.48	−0.37	0.76**
Correlation adjusted for GDP per capita and population density	−0.62*	−0.37	0.74**

Values are coefficient of Spearman's correlation, except for UK countries (Pearson's correlation).
p Values: *<0.05, **<0.01, ***<0.001.
GDP, gross domestic product.
†Refers to all Protestant churches for France and Canada, to the Anglican Church of Ireland, and to all Anglican and Protestant churches for the UK.