Toward a clinically useful method of predicting early breast-feeding attrition

• Published in: Applied nursing research 2006-08, Vol.19 (3), p.144-148
• Main Authors: Lewallen, Lynne Porter, Dick, Margaret J., Wall, Yolanda, Zickefoose, Kimberly Taylor, Hannah, Susan Hensley, Flowers, Janet, Powell, Wanda
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Bottle Feeding - psychology; Breast Feeding - psychology; Breast Feeding - statistics & numerical data; Family - psychology; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Maternal Behavior; Mothers - education; Mothers - psychology; Negativism; North Carolina; Nursing; Nursing Assessment - methods; Nursing Assessment - standards; Nursing Evaluation Research; Patient Compliance - psychology; Patient Compliance - statistics & numerical data; Patient Education as Topic; Postpartum Period - psychology; Predictive Value of Tests; Risk Assessment - methods; Risk Assessment - standards; Social Support; Surveys and Questionnaires - standards; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0897-1897; 1532-8201
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apnr.2005.06.004

The overall purpose of this study was to revise and test an instrument to identify, during the early postpartum period, women at risk for early breast-feeding attrition. This study was completed in two phases: the first phase tested a revision of the Breast-Feeding Attrition Prediction Tool (BAPT); the second, a new instrument, the Breast-Feeding Attitude Scale (BrAS), which was adapted from the BAPT. The two phases of this study involved 415 pregnant and postpartum women. Women answered questions either by phone (pregnant women) or in their hospital rooms after delivery (postpartum women). Data were analyzed using t tests and reliability analysis. The BAPT did not predict early breast-feeding attrition; however, the BrAS did differentiate between the attitudes of breast-feeding women and those of formula-feeding women and had adequate reliability. Women at risk for early breast-feeding attrition should be identified early so nursing interventions can be directed toward preventing early unintended weaning. Although the BrAS did not reliably identify women at risk in this sample, it did highlight important differences between breast-feeding and formula-feeding women that can be used in designing preconceptional or prenatal educational assessments and interventions.