Maternal Self-Concept and Breastfeeding

To test the hypothesis that mothers with high self-concept will be more likely to breastfeed their infants than those with lower self-concept, 2 cohorts of mothers of term newborns were assessed by different forms of the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale. In study 1, mothers exclusively breastfeeding at...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of human lactation 2008-11, Vol.24 (4), p.431-438
Main Authors: Britton, John R., Britton, Helen L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Breast Feeding - psychology
Cohort Studies
Female
Humans
Infant
Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena - physiology
Infant, Newborn
Mothers - psychology
Nursing
Self Concept
Young Adult
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Summary:To test the hypothesis that mothers with high self-concept will be more likely to breastfeed their infants than those with lower self-concept, 2 cohorts of mothers of term newborns were assessed by different forms of the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale. In study 1, mothers exclusively breastfeeding at 1 month postpartum had significantly higher self-concept than those exclusively formula feeding. In study 2, exclusively breastfeeding mothers had higher scores for total self-concept compared with those exclusively formula feeding. Exclusively breastfeeding mothers also scored higher on several individual dimensions of self-concept, notably those reflecting self-satisfaction, behavior, moral worth, value as a family member, and physical appearance. Mothers partially breastfeeding had intermediate levels of self-concept in both studies. Even after controlling for demographic and social factors and for breastfeeding initiation in regression analyses, self-concept remained significantly associated with exclusive breastfeeding in both studies. Thus, compared with mothers who exclusively formula feed their infants, exclusively breastfeeding mothers have higher levels of self concept. J Hum Lact. 24(4):431-438.
ISSN:0890-3344
1552-5732
DOI:10.1177/0890334408316083