A BREAST FEEDING EDUCATION AND PROMOTION PROGRAM: EFFECTS ON KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND SUPPORT FOR BREAST FEEDING

• Published in: Journal of community health 1995-12, Vol.20 (6), p.473-490
• Main Authors: Sciacca, John P., Dube, David A., Phipps, Brenda L., Ratliff, Michael I.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Breast Feeding; Breastfeeding & lactation; Control Groups; Education; Fathers - psychology; Feeding behavior; Female; Health education; Health Education - organization & administration; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Promotion - organization & administration; Humans; Intervention; Low income groups; Male; Motivation; Parity; Poverty; Pregnancy; Program Evaluation; Social Support; Socioeconomics; Surveys and Questionnaires; Women; Young Children
• ISSN: 0094-5145; 1573-3610
• DOI: 10.1007/BF02277064

This study was undertaken to determine the effects of a partner-support, incentive-based educational program on breast feeding knowledge, attitudes and support and to examine the relationship between feeding intentions and feeding behavior among low-income women. Women who expressed a willingness to participate in the intervention were randomly assigned to "intervention" and "usual breast feeding" (control) groups. Sixty-eight primipara women with expected due dates between May and December, 1992, volunteered to participate in the study. Of these, 34 were randomly assigned to each of the two groups. Approximately 81 percent of the women completed the study, leaving n = 29 in the control group and n = 26 in the intervention group. The intervention consisted of special incentives (prizes) for women and their partners to participate in several breast feeding education and promotion activities. Intervention group women and their partners experienced positive changes in breast feeding knowledge and attitudes. Furthermore, the intervention seemed to have influenced more women in the treatment group to breast feed despite their prenatal feeding intentions. In addition, the partners of intervention group women were perceived to be more supportive of breast feeding than control group partners. These findings suggest that incentives, such as donated prizes, can be used to attract lower socioeconomic group women and their partners to breast feeding promotion interventions. Participation in such interventions can produce positive changes in breast feeding knowledge, attitudes, and support, and can have a dramatic effect in promoting breast feeding.