Influences on a mother's choice of method of infant feeding
An attempt was made in 1975 to improve the incidence of breast feeding in the Exeter district by means of seminars for midwives and health visitors. The effectiveness of the seminars was assessed by means of two surveys which also enquired into other influences on a mother's choice of method of infant feeding.
The breast feeding rate increased in the consultant unit during the period studied but a similar increase did not take place in the general practitioner units. The influence of individual professional advisers was not as powerful as the mothers' social customs and the media.
References (7)
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Factors influencing breast feeding
Archives of Disease in Childhood
(1975) - Brimblecombe, F. S. W., Richards, M. R. & Robertson, G. To be...
- Department of Health and Social Security
Present Day Practice in Infant Feeding
Cited by (26)
An account of significant events influencing Australian breastfeeding practice over the last 40 years
2011, Women and BirthCitation Excerpt :Instruction to ‘attach’ babies to the breast embedded in international breastfeeding promotional literature, changed education programmes and professional practice. Significant variations in breastfeeding occurred in response to the large volume of literature that referred to techniques aimed at achieving the correct ‘position’, ‘attachment’, a good ‘latch’ to prevent ‘sore nipples’, and getting most of the areola into the baby's mouth. 50–54,65–75 Variations of positioning, holding and attaching the baby included information targeting specific groups of women, for example those categorised as obese.50
Low breastfeeding duration rates reflect the pain and distress experienced by many women who discontinue breastfeeding in the early weeks and months of life. This paper explores modern key historical events that have significantly influenced Australian breastfeeding education and practice.
Relevant literature reviewed from 1970 to 2010 identified key events that appear to have contributed to the decrease in Australian breastfeeding rates and the increase in women experiencing breastfeeding complications, particularly nipple pain and trauma.
The rise in institutionalisation and medical intervention in labour and birth has also medicalised midwifery practice. Technocratic intrusion and institutionalised care is contributing to the separation of the mother and newborn at birth. Delayed mother–baby initiation of breastfeeding and interruption of the duration of the first, and subsequent breastfeeds, negatively affects the innate ability of the mother and newborn to establish and sustain breastfeeding. The ‘pathologising’ of breastfeeding that involve midwives teaching women complicated and unnatural breastfeeding techniques interfere with instinctive sensory and mammalian behaviours and further contributes to the high complication rates.
Midwives are encouraged to reflect on their role as ‘experts’ in the breastfeeding process and give confidence to women so that they utilise their instinctive ability to breastfeed by self-determined techniques that encourage mammalian skills for newborn sustenance and survival.
An assessment of research on breastfeeding promotion strategies in developing countries
1995, Social Science and MedicineBreastfeeding and its impact on child survival in developing countries have been well documented. Governments are being urged to encourage breastfeeding through legislation and promotional campaigns. The success of promotional programs depends not only on the interventions themselves but on the acceptance and acquisition of the desired knowledge, skills and behaviors. During the past decade, a variety of strategies have been used in an attempt to promote breastfeeding. These efforts include: (1) modifying hospital policies; (2) using social supports; (3) providing incentives; (4) educating mothers and health workers; and (5) initiating legislation and political action to create policies aimed toward healthier infant feeding practices. Research regarding these promotional activities has been both qualitative and quantitative in nature, designed to provide answers concerning the relative success of different promotional approaches. To varying degrees, findings and conclusions of breastfeeding promotion research can enhance the design, implementation and sustainability of these projects. However, programs and research designs are poorly described in the literature, providing vague conclusions and little guidance for future program planning.
Breastfeeding trends in Singapore
1989, Social Science and MedicineAbout 60% of well-to-do mothers in Singapore initiate breastfeeding. This value compares favourably with the 36% recently recorded for poor mothers, but it is still unacceptably low compared to the 85–95% of well-to-do mothers and 90% of poor mothers who breastfed in the 1950s and 1960s. There has been a general decline in the incidence of breastfeeding over the last 35 years. Differences between the well-to-do and poor groups were initially small. A pronounced decline in the incidence of breastfeeding among the well-to-do mothers followed; a reversal in this downward trend in well-to-do mothers over the past 10 yeats has narrowed, and indeed reversed, the difference between the two groups. Similar trends can be found for the duration of breastfeeding. Whilst the overall decline probably reflects increasing affluence and ‘Westernization’ of the population the variation between these two economic groups is probably a result of differences in education. Among the three major ethnic communities, Chinese favoured breastfeeding least and Malays favoured it most. The differences are believed to be related to cultural differences and the ability of traditional practices and beliefs among the ethnic groups to resist the modern trend towards bottlefeeding.
Attitudinal and social influences on infant-feeding preference
1987, Journal of Nutrition EducationWe undertook this investigation to provide information that would serve as the basis for designing an educational program to increase breastfeeding. Guided by the principles of the theory of reasoned action, we developed specific objectives to determine the predictive value of attitude and social influences on 1) mothers' intentions to breastfeed or bottle feed and 2) mothers' actual behavior. We examined the study participants' beliefs underlying such attitudinal and social influences to ascertain whether we could use certain salient beliefs to discriminate among mothers with differing infant-feeding intentions. We also determined the role of demographic factors as predictors of differing feeding intentions. Data were collected on 53 pregnant women participating in a federal food assistance program. Results indicated that mothers' attitudes were more predictive of infant-feeding intention than were social influences. Maternal attitude mediated the effects of demographic factors on intention. With respect to maternal beliefs, mothers planning to breastfeed were significantly more convinced that breastfeeding would provide the best nutrition and closeness with their infants. Education designed to increase breastfeeding should focus upon strengthening beliefs for which an empirical relationship with intention has been established.
Cette recherche a pour but d’aider l’orientation de futurs programmes éducatifs visant à augmenter le taux d’allaitement maternel. Les principes de la théorie de l’action rationnelle ont servi de base au développement des objectifs spécifiques; l’étude vise à déterminer la valeur pronostique de l’attitude de la mère et du milieu sur 1) son intention d’allaiter ou de donner un biberon et 2) sur son comportement réel. Nous avons étudié les croyances sousjacentes à l’attitude et au milieu des participantes afin de déterminer si certaines de ces croyances pouvaient aider à distinguer les mères qui différaient d’intention face à l’allaitement. Nous avons également déterminé le rôle des facteurs démographiques comme élément pronostique sur les différentes intentions d’allaiter. Nous avons obtenu l’information auprès de 53 femmes enceintes qui participaient à un programme fédérale d’assistance alimentaire. Les résultats ont indiqué que l’attitude des mères avaient plus de valeur pronostique sur leur intention d’allaiter que l’influence du milieu. L’attitude maternelle modifie l’effet des facteurs démographiques sur l’intention. Quant aux croyances maternelles, les mères qui avaint planifier d’allaiter étaient de facon significative plus confiantes dans les pouvoirs tant nutritionnels que sensoriels de l’allaitement. Pour augmenter le taux d’allaitement, l’enseignement devrait viser à renforcir les croyances qui semblent avoir une relation empirique avec l’intention d’allaiter.
El propósito que nos condujo a llevar a cabo esta investigación fué el de proporcionar información que sirva como base para el diseño de un programa educativo orientado a promover la lactancia materna. Siguiendo los principios de la teoría de acción razonada, se desarrollaron objetivos específicos para determinar el valor predictivo de actitudes e influencias sociales en: 1) la intención de la madre de lactar y 2) el comportamiento real de la madre. Se examinaron las creencias de las madres que pudieran constituir la base de actitud o postura. Esto con el fin de examinar la posibilidad de utilizar ciertas creencias relevantes y distinguir entre las diferentes intenciones de la madre hacia la alimentación de su niño. También se determinó el papel de los factores demográficos como predictores de las diversas intenciones de alimentación. Se recogió información de 53 embarazadas participantes en un programa federal de asistencia alimentaria. Los resultados indican que la actitud de las madres eran mejores predictores, que las influencias sociales, de las intenciones de las madres de lactar a sus niños. Las actitudes maternas modifican, a su vez, los efectos de los factores demográficos en la intención de lactar. Con respecto a creencias maternas, las madres que planeaban amamantar estaban significativamente convencidas que la lactancia materna les proporcionaría a sus niños una mejor nutrición y las acercaría mas a ellos. La educación diseñada a aumentar la lactancia materna debe enfocarse hacia el reforzamiento de creencias para las cuales se haya establecido una relación empírica con la intención materna de lactar.
Investigation of a model for the initiation of breastfeeding in primigravida women
1985, Social Science and MedicinePrimigravida women are faced with the decision about how they will feed their infants. Many will decide to breastfeed but the motivation for this choice is unclear. While certain beliefs and worries about breastfeeding appear to predict women who will choose to breastfeed, such concepts are influenced by a combination of other values, support resources and socioeconomic background. The main goal of this research was to demonstrate how multivariate analysis can be applied to the infant-feeding decision and how it can lend a theoretical interpretation to social issues such as the initiation of breastfeeding. One hundred completely breastfeeding and 57 bottle feeding primigravida women were enrolled in the study and completed a pretested Likert-type questionnaire. Three primary predictors for the initiation of breastfeeding were identified: (1) positive maternal beliefs about breastfeeding; (2) the absence of maternal worries about breastfeeding; and (3) higher levels of maternal education. Secondary psychosocial predictors significantly associated with maternal breastfeeding beliefs included maternal beliefs in increased personal satisfaction from breastfeeding and maternal beliefs in preventive health measures. Secondary psychosocial predictors significantly related to maternal worries about breastfeeding included maternal worries about lack of psychosocial support and maternal anxiety about breastfeeding before breastfeeding began. Over half of the strength of the direct psychosocial predictors for breastfeeding initiation could be attributed to their respective groups of indirect predictors. Thus, the main contribution of this research has been to shift the emphasis of past research away from differences between groups of bottle feeders and breastfeeders to focus more precisely on the decision-making process involved in the infant feeding choice. This move toward a more theoretical framework lays the foundation for more effective clinical applications by health care providers.
Social support, social influence, ethnicity and the breastfeeding decision
1983, Social Science and MedicineA survey was conducted of all mothers delivering infants at a university medical center hospital in the month of July, 1981. The survey was conducted within 48 hours of delivery and addressed factors related to the breastfeeding decision. The mother's response to the question concerning choice of infant feeding was verified against the feeding records. One set of questions concerned the perceived general supportiveness toward breastfeeding of six individuals significant to the mother. Another set of questions identified who was most influential in the mother's breast or bottle feeding decision. The pattern of significant bivariate relationships between a person's supportiveness and breastfeeding varied across ethnic and maritial status groups. Single and multiple logistic analyses were conducted within ethnic groups to identify from whom support was most important for initiating breastfeeding. Among Black-Americans, support from a close friend was most important. Among Mexican-Americans, support from the mother's mother was most important. Among Anglo-Americans, support from the male partner was important. A broad variety of ensuing research issues are raised. An implication is that social support may be an important interventive variable, but the potentially supportive individual to be reached by an interventive program varies by ethnic group.
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Formerly Medical Officer, Devon A.H.A.