Acceptance Of Breastfeeding Research Articles

Knowledge, perception and acceptability of breastfeeding and bottle feeding among Saudi population.

Despite the enormous benefits of breastfeeding (BF), its prevalence is suboptimal, with exclusive BF ranging between 7.3 % and 51% in the Saudi community. The aim of this study was to assess the Saudi community's knowledge regarding BF, exposure to BF promotional messages and formula milk advertisements and acceptability of BF in public places. It was a cross-sectional study that included Saudis aged 20-55 years old between December 2019 and June 2020. It utilised a self-administered questionnaire, which asked about background information, knowledge of BF, exposure to BF-promoting messages and exposure to formula milk advertisements and acceptability of BF versus bottle feeding in public. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS v. 22). For the analysis, a p-value <0.05 was considered significant. The sample included for analysis was 914. The mean age of participants was 33.8 ± 9 years. The majority of participants were female 823 (90%); males 87 (10%). The vast majority (94%) agreed that breast milk is more beneficial than formula milk. Nearly two-thirds (61%) were continuously exposed to messages advertising formula feeding, compared to only 35% who were exposed to messages promoting BF. The study found that 67.2% accept BF in public places. Among male participants, only 49% accepted BF in public places compared to 79% of female participants who accepted it; p-value <0.001. Acceptability of BF in public places was significantly higher among participants who had family members who breastfed (68%), compared to those who did not (50%), (p-value 0.01).

Ponašanje, stavovi i znanje zdravstvenih djelatnika o dojenju

Breastfeeding is undoubtedly the best food for newborns and infants. In the process of breastfeeding, the child establishes the foundations of attachment, on which he will build the foundations of all subsequent relationships. Breastfeeding has health benefits for the mother. The invitation to participate in this research was answered by a small number of men in terms of gender, and doctors in terms of profession. The results of the research show in general scarce participation of health professionals in education about breastfeeding (frequently/regularly less than 20%). Counseling parents on exclusive and complete breastfeeding is often contrary to UNICEF/WHO guidelines. The worst responses of healthcare workers on the scale of attitudes are regarding breastfeeding in a public place, acceptance of breastfeeding as a fundamental human relationship and the role of the father in supporting the breastfeeding mother. On the scale of knowledge, the worst responses are regarding knowledge of the legal regulation of public advertising of breast milk substitutes, stopping breastfeeding when the mother is febrile or taking some medication, the importance of rooming in and the need to stop breastfeeding when the child starts nursery/kindergarten. Breastfeeding education for future healthcare workers during their education should be improved. In working with healthcare professionals who are already employed, work should be done to raise awareness of the obligation to provide information about breastfeeding in accordance with WHO/UNICEF recommendations. Parents who have already decided to breastfeed their child have the right to continuous support during the entire period of breastfeeding. To achieve the goals of the WHO/UNICEF in 2030, only positive developments in the health system will not be enough, but at the level of the entire society

Attitudes and practices of postnatal mothers and their accompanying relatives to breastfeeding in public at a university hospital in Turkey.

Mothers face social and cultural obstacles to breastfeeding in public. This study evaluated the attitudes and practices of Turkish women regarding breastfeeding in public. This cross-sectional, descriptive study was carried out in a university hospital among 200 new postnatal mothers and their 200 accompanying female relatives. Data were obtained using a questionnaire and the Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS). Respondents mostly believed that there was nothing wrong with breastfeed in public and almost half of them thought the society would perceive breastfeeding in public negatively. Some 56.5% of the mothers who had previously had children and 37.2% of their relatives had breastfed in public before. The acceptance of breastfeeding in public increased "if the breast is covered" and "if a private space is provided". The mean total IIFAS score was 61.53 (6.19) in the mothers and 60.65 (6.69) in their relatives. Based on IIFAS, the mothers (92.0%) and their relatives (89.5%) were neutral to breastfeeding, but age, education, employment status, and opinions regarding breastfeeding in public affected the IIFAS scores. IIFAS score was significantly higher in women who had breastfed in public before. Although the women knew the importance of breastfeeding, they mostly did not breastfeed in public because of the cultural implications and the lack of private breastfeeding areas. Awareness-raising, availability of breastfeeding rooms, and education of supporting relatives can help the increase willingness of mothers to breastfeed even if it is in public.

Die gesellschaftliche Akzeptanz von öffentlichem Stillen im zeitlichen Vergleich: Erfahrungen und Einstellungen der Bevölkerung und stillender Mütter 2016 und 2020

ZusammenfassungHintergrund und ZielDeutschland ist nur moderat stillfreundlich, dies ergab eine systematische Bestandsaufnahme von 2019. Aufbauend auf einer Referenzstudie wurde eine Befragung zur Akzeptanz des Stillens in der Öffentlichkeit durchgeführt. Ziel der Arbeit ist es, Wahrnehmungen und Einstellungen zum öffentlichen Stillen im zeitlichen Vergleich zu erfassen. Zudem werden u. a. Unterschiede zwischen der Allgemeinbevölkerung und Müttern von kleinen Kindern sowie zwischen Müttern mit unterschiedlichem Bildungsstand betrachtet.Material und Methoden1007 Personen ab 16 Jahren und 307 Mütter mit Kindern bis 24 Monaten wurden im Jahr 2020 online zum Thema Stillen in der Öffentlichkeit befragt. Ergebnisse wurden mit einer früheren Befragung aus 2016 verglichen.Ergebnisse2020 stillt ein größerer Anteil von Müttern an öffentlichen Orten als 2016, es wird seltener vermieden. Mütter mit niedrigerem Bildungsstand stillen seltener, auch in der Öffentlichkeit, und berichten häufiger von gemischten Reaktionen. In der Bevölkerung ist die Akzeptanz für das öffentliche Stillen gesunken, z. B. in der Gastronomie. Etwa jede bzw. jeder Sechste (17 %) lehnt das öffentliche Stillen explizit ab. Das Wissen über gesundheitliche Effekte des Stillens ist in der Allgemeinbevölkerung niedriger als bei Müttern. Wie 2016 geht Wissen über die positiven Effekte des Stillens mit einer größeren Akzeptanz von öffentlichem Stillen einher.DiskussionDie Ergebnisse unterstreichen die Bedeutung von Maßnahmen, etwa um der Bevölkerung Wissen zu vermitteln, das Stillen in Massenmedien und durch positive Vorbilder häufiger zu zeigen und die Lebenswelten von Familien stillfreundlicher zu machen. Bei den Maßnahmen sind Frauen mit niedrigerem Bildungsstand besonders in den Blick zu nehmen.

Perceptions of Mothers and Community Members Regarding Breastfeeding in Public Spaces in Alexandra, Gauteng Province, South Africa

Background: Mothers experience significant barriers to breastfeed in public spaces, which could result in a detrimental impact on the World Health Organization’s recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding. Failure to support and accept breastfeeding in public spaces could lead to mixed feeding or even abandonment of breastfeeding. Objective: The current study aimed to identify the knowledge of breastfeeding benefits and perceptions about it among mothers and community members in Alexandra, Gauteng Province, South Africa. Methods: A quantitative, non-experimental descriptive study was deployed using two structured questionnaires, which were distributed among mothers (n=96) and community members (n=96). All 192 questionnaires were completed and returned, although two questionnaires of mothers could not be used due to incompleteness. An excel spread sheet and Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25 was used to analyze the data. Results: The findings of the current study revealed a positive correlation between the knowledge level about breastfeeding benefits [infants (r=0.45, p≤0.000) and mothers (r=0.29, p≤0.000)] and perceptions in public spaces. Community members and mothers who were knowledgeable regarding breastfeeding benefits exhibited supportive attitudes towards breastfeeding in public spaces. Conclusion: Altogether, the majority of mothers (69%) were comfortable to breastfeed in public spaces, and community members (84%) were supportive. Limited knowledge of breastfeeding benefits was associated with unsupportive attitudes towards breastfeeding in public spaces. Health messages that target these factors are essential to encourage support and acceptance of breastfeeding in public spaces. This could be executed through public education via posters in public spaces and during community health outreaches.

A Pilot Study of the Impact of Brief Exposure to Images of Breastfeeding Mothers on Attitudes Toward Mother’s Breastfeeding in Public

ABSTRACT The wider societal attitudes held toward mothers’ breastfeeding in public seem to impact infant feeding choices. The present study employed an online (N = 396) experimental pretest–posttest design set to examine whether a mere exposure effect of briefly viewing and rating the valence of four different images of public breastfeeding (i.e., mother and baby alone, females in background, males in background, and females and males in background) would impact on participants’ attitudes toward a mother breastfeeding in public. There was a marginal increase in the positive attitudes toward public breastfeeding at Time 2 when compared with Time 1 following exposure to the four images. These findings support a potential positive mere exposure effect in enhancing attitudes toward breastfeeding in public. This suggests a greater use of promotional material using visual stimuli may improve societal acceptance of breastfeeding in public.

From “Nurturing” to “Indecent”: Discomfort Towards Photographs of Breastfeeding Among Adults in Nova Scotia, Canada

Abstract Objectives Although the World Health Organization recommends continued breastfeeding for 2 years and beyond, adherence rates are low in Canada and the United States. One major barrier to following this recommendation is an unsupportive culture and social stigma around breastfeeding. Our objective was to assess attitudes towards photographs of breastfeeding children of varying ages and locations among the general population in Nova Scotia, Canada. Methods In a self-administered questionnaire, participants recruited in public spaces were asked to react to six photographs depicting women breastfeeding children aged 2 weeks, 13 months and 30 months in both private (e.g., home) and public (e.g., store) locations. Participants self-rated their comfort levels using a visual analog scale (VAS; scale from 0 [not at all comfortable] to 10 [very comfortable]), and also provided open-ended qualitative reactions to the images. Sociodemographic information was also collected. Results We surveyed 229 participants (60% women, 40% men). Mean age was 44 years (range 19–95 years), 73% self-identified as white, and 77% were born in Canada. The majority of participants were parents (69%), and 69% of parents reported that their children were breastfed. Mean (95% CI) self-rated comfort differed significantly by location and child age. VAS scores indicated higher comfort for images in private locations (7.9, 7.7–8.1) compared to public locations (7.3, 7.0–7.5; P = 0.001), and for images of younger (8.5, 8.3–8.7) compared to older children (6.9, 6.6–7.2; P &amp;lt; 0.001). Women and parents had higher comfort with all images compared to men and non-parents (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Younger participants (19–29 years) were less comfortable with images of public breastfeeding compared to older participants (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Text-based reactions suggest lower approval of images of public breastfeeding and increased child age, but varied highly, including comments from “nurturing” to “indecent”. Conclusions Comfort and acceptance of breastfeeding among adults in Nova Scotia is influenced by location and child age. Negative perceptions of public breastfeeding and continued breastfeeding into young childhood may affect adherence to global breastfeeding recommendations. Funding Sources Mount Saint Vincent University New Scholars Grant, CN Student Research Internship.

Perceived Barriers to and Social Supports for Breastfeeding Continuation in Rural Middle Tennessee

Despite established importance, few Tennessee mothers breastfeed for a year. The purpose ofthis study was to examine perceived barriers to and perceived supports for this behavior. Quantitativeand qualitative data were collected using on-line surveys. Participants were recruited via convenienceand snowball sampling (N = 100). Significant findings were that support, determination, and comfortbreastfeeding in public all contribute to breastfeeding continuation success. The findings indicate thateducation for maternal support systems, paid maternity leave, and acceptance of breastfeeding in publicmay be worthwhile.

Perceptions of community-based human milk banks before and after training in a resource-limited South African setting

Background. Human breastmilk provides gold standard nutrition and immunological support to infants. For low birth weight, HIV-infected, HIV-exposed or otherwise vulnerable babies, it can mean the difference between life and death. When a mother’s own milk is not available, safe, donated human breastmilk is an excellent alternative. High rates of under-5 mortality have prompted the South African (SA) Ministry of Health to commit to scaling up human milk banks in key health facilities. Community-based human milk banks (CBHMBs) have the potential to complement these efforts, but there is little research on the feasibility and acceptability of this approach. Objective. To determine mothers’ perceptions of breastfeeding and CBHMBs, and to ascertain how training could affect those perceptions. Methods. A total of 40 black mothers in KwaZulu-Natal, SA, participated in a survey on breastfeeding and human milk banks (HMBs) prior to commencing a breastfeeding peer-counselling training course that included information on HMBs. The survey was re-administered following the completion of the module on HMBs. The questionnaire was repeated ~4 months later. Results. Following training, significant changes were observed in mothers’ knowledge and perceptions around donor milk and safety. No significant changes were observed in reports of what these mothers presumed the community’s perceptions around donor milk banking were. Conclusion. Education of mothers can play an important role in supporting CBHMBs by improving mothers’ perceptions and acceptance of breastfeeding, donor milk, and milk banking. Changing community concerns around HMBs will require more than just changing the perceptions of mothers.

The Ability of Posters to Enhance the Comfort Level with Breastfeeding in a Public Venue in Rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

The acceptance and support of breastfeeding in public venues can influence breastfeeding practices and, ultimately, the health of the population. The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether posters targeted at the general public could improve acceptability of breastfeeding in public places. A convenience sample of 255 participants was surveyed at shopping centers in 2 rural communities of Newfoundland and Labrador. Experimentally, questions were posed to 117 participants pre- and post-exposure to 2 specific posters designed to promote public acceptance of breastfeeding in public. Initially, we surveyed that only 51.9% of participants indicated that they were comfortable with a woman breastfeeding anywhere in public. However, context played a role, whereby a doctor's office (84.5%) or park (81.4%) were the most acceptable public places for breastfeeding, but least acceptable was a business office environment (66.7%). Of participants, 35.4% indicated previously viewing specific posters. We used a visual analog scale to test poster viewing on the acceptability of public breastfeeding in the context of a doctor's office and a restaurant. Results of pre- versus post-viewing of the promotional posters indicated significant improvements in both scenarios: in a doctor's office (P = .035) and in a restaurant (P = .021). Nearly 50% of the surveyed population indicated discomfort with a mother breastfeeding in public. Both cross-sectional and interventional evidence showed that posters significantly improved the reported level of comfort toward seeing breastfeeding in public.

Breastfeeding in Public: A Global Review of Different Attitudes towards It

Breast milk is the best diet for infants and exclusive breastfeeding is strongly recommended. In order for breastfeeding to be exclusive, mothers will face situations where they will need to feed in public places whether they are indoors or outdoors. However, acceptance of breastfeeding in public is not always accepted. Many cultural, legal, social and religious factors play a role in acceptance of nursing in public. Public acceptance in turn may have an effect on the rate of breast feeding in communities and regions. Some countries in North Europe and North America have made legislative attempts to establish the legitimacy of breastfeeding in public as well as the right to feed their child or pump milk at the workplace. Moreover, some countries in the Western hemisphere use advertising to promote breastfeeding. On the other hand, some African and Asian countries discourage, or even criminalize public nursing. This review summarizes the different attitudes towards public breastfeeding worldwide and the current advertising campaigns around the world.

Breastfeeding Knowledge, Attitudes, and Intention in a Sample of Undergraduate Students in Mainland China

Despite the high breastfeeding initiation rate in China (> 90%), the low exclusivity rate is of concern. Some traditional behaviors, combined with increasing popularity of infant formula, may negatively affect future breastfeeding rates. As suggested by the theory of planned behavior, understanding breastfeeding beliefs of young adults may help identify and address misperceptions of future parents, supporting maintenance of the current initiation rate while increasing rates of exclusivity and duration. No research has evaluated these factors among young adults in Mainland China. The objective was to explore any relationships between breastfeeding knowledge, attitudes, previous experiences, and future intention among undergraduate students in Mainland China. This was a cross-sectional, quantitative study conducted from May to June 2012. A convenience sample of 395 students from a major public university in southwest China participated in the survey. Breastfeeding knowledge was moderate (76.7% of total score), and breastfeeding was considered to be painful (34.2%), to make breasts sag (43.1%), and to restrict the freedom of mothers (52.5%). In addition, 58.2% of students reported that they would feel embarrassed if they or their partners were to breastfeed in public, and acceptability of breastfeeding in public was low (34.7%). Three-fourths of the students (75.1%) expressed future breastfeeding intent, though males were more likely to report this intention (ie, to support a partner in breastfeeding) than were females (81.3% vs 71.7%, P = .04). To create a more breastfeeding-friendly culture, future research is warranted to explore these negative beliefs about breastfeeding and to counter misunderstandings among future parents in Mainland China.

Improved support required to increase breastfeeding rates

Rosie Sayers’1 article is an interesting discussion on the impact of our wider culture on the acceptability of breastfeeding in public and suggests this as an important cause of low breastfeeding rates in the UK. However, from my own personal and professional experience, I believe lack of effective support to overcome low confidence and common problems encountered when establishing breastfeeding (for example painful nipples and concerns about …

Community Attitudes toward Breastfeeding in Public Places among Western Australia Adults, 1995-2009

Community attitudes toward breastfeeding in public influence how comfortable women feel about continuing breastfeeding. Knowledge of the social context helps target breastfeeding-promoting interventions. To examine trends in Western Australian adult attitudes toward breastfeeding in public places. As part of 5 cross-sectional surveys from the Western Australian Nutrition Monitor Survey Series conducted between 1995 and 2009, 5496 adults aged 18 to 64 years were asked whether it was acceptable for mothers to breastfeed their babies in public places, including shopping centers, workplaces, and restaurants, and on public transport. Descriptive statistics and multinomial regressions were used to describe factors associated with attitudes toward publicly breastfeeding. There was no change in the acceptance of breastfeeding in shopping centers, restaurants, and workplaces and on public transport over time, but in 2009, significantly fewer people said that it was unacceptable to breastfeed in public compared with 1995. Women, people older than 44 years, those born outside Australia, and the less educated were those most likely to say that breastfeeding in public was unacceptable. In the years that the question was asked, more than 97% of respondents said that breastfeeding was acceptable if a separate room was provided. Making breastfeeding acceptable and pleasant for mothers in public spaces is a key policy recommendation. Women, people older than 44 years, and those born outside Australia were most likely to respond that breastfeeding in public was unacceptable unless a room was provided. Given that, on average, 70% of the population said that breastfeeding in public was acceptable, investigation into why some women do not think so is warranted.

Do fathers′ attitudes support breastfeeding? a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study in Mumbai, India

The views of fathers have been shown to be important determinants of infant feeding decisions, but men's attitudes toward breastfeeding and formula feeding have rarely been explored. To explore the relationship between maternal and paternal infant feeding attitudes and their impact on the duration of exclusive breastfeeding. Prospective questionnaire-based cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary care public hospital. From May 2009 to September 2010, a convenience sample of 238 parents of infants (>6 months to <1 year of age) were included. Each parent's attitude toward infant feeding was measured by the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS). Pearson's correlation test, independent samples t-test, and one-way analysis of variance were carried out for statistical significance. Only 83 (34.9%) mothers had exclusively breastfed their babies for 4-6 months. A mother's "total" infant feeding attitude score was significantly correlated with her husband's score (r=0.43, P<0.01). The couples shared similar "individual" infant feeding attitudes to all but four of the 17 items. These 13 "individual" attitudes favorable toward breastfeeding were related to its optimal nutritional value, convenience of administration, ease of digestibility, unique role in mother-infant bonding, acceptability of breastfeeding in public places, and long-term health benefits to babies. Only maternal attitudes played an influential role in achieving an exclusive breastfeeding period of 4-6 months. Fathers' attitudes do support breastfeeding, but do not influence the time duration of exclusive breastfeeding.