Breastfeeding In Public Research Articles

Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Have Greater Formula Supplementation in the Hospital and at Home Despite Intention to Exclusively Breastfeed.

Background: Women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have lower rates of exclusive breastfeeding compared with women without diabetes. Objectives: To assess associations between GDM and breastfeeding intentions and attitudes, formula supplementation, reasons for formula supplementation, and knowledge of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk reduction associated with breastfeeding among U.S. mothers. Design/Methods: Participants completed an online survey assessing infant feeding knowledge, attitudes, and practices; demographics; and pregnancy-related medical history. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios for formula supplementation in the hospital and at home. Results: Of 871 respondents, a smaller proportion of women with GDM compared with women without diabetes intended to exclusively breastfeed. There were no differences between groups in attitudes toward public breastfeeding, attitudes toward breastfeeding beyond infancy, or actual duration of any breastfeeding. Approximately one in four participants believed that breastfeeding mothers may be less likely to develop T2DM, regardless of GDM status. Among those who intended to exclusively breastfeed, GDM was associated with higher odds of formula supplementation in the hospital (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.97-3.18) and at home (adjusted OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.05-3.89). "Medical reasons," which was reported as an important reason for formula supplementation, was reported more frequently by women with GDM. Conclusions: Women with GDM who intended to exclusively breastfeed had higher odds of in-hospital and at-home formula supplementation, cited medical reasons as a main reason for formula supplementation more often, and were largely unaware of T2DM risk reduction associated with breastfeeding.

Mother’s Milk and Male Fantasy in Nineteenth-Century French Narrative. Lisa Algazi Marcus

Although the wet-nursing industry may have long faded into the past, the debate around breastfeeding remains a fascinating and salient subject in the twenty-first century. Indeed, while perusing the wealth of striking historical and literary examples offered up in this study, one cannot help but reflect on their connection with divisive issues in our own time. Lisa Algazi Marcus perceptively addresses a powerful political imaginary of the mothering body that continues to intensify bodily autonomy debates today — not only those most obviously implied by the subject of her study, concerning the use of formula milk and public breastfeeding, but also those around abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. This book, then, feels important and timely, and addresses a significant gap within nineteenth-century French studies. It begins with a thorough account of attitudes to breastfeeding in eighteenth-century France, including moving statistics on the prevalence of wet-nursing and the associated infant mortality rates despite the period’s abundance of idealistic discourse on the value of nursing one’s own child. This sets the stage for the second chapter to consider the reasons for a decline in portrayals of breastfeeding in the Romantic era, stressing the impact of Napoleon’s regressive attitudes towards women and his associated public policy. Algazi Marcus examines a very wide range of authors here: Gabriel Legouvé, Chateaubriand, Hugo, Alphonse de Lamartine and George Sand, alongside a selection of early nineteenth-century paintings. The final two chapters explore realist and naturalist authors’ renewed interest in both breastfeeding and the allegorical Republican figure of Marianne, moving between Balzac’s Mémoires de deux jeunes mariées (1841), Alexandre Hepp’s Le Lait d’une autre (1891), and Zola’s Fécondité (1899). Algazi Marcus’s primary interest in these chapters is in the curious proximity of the maternal and the sexual. Whereas in the eighteenth century it was acceptable to cite sensual pleasure as an incentive for women to nurse, she argues, after the relegation of the maternal breast to the private sphere under the Empire, discussion of such pleasure could only later return via the (often pathologizing) eroticization of mothers and wet-nurses by anxious male authors. The fourth chapter investigates, in particular, Hepp’s and Zola’s politicized deployment of characters named Marianne during the Third Republic. The fictional passages Algazi Marcus cites are always intriguing, and occasionally astonishing — helping to make this study a genuinely compelling read. They also provide fertile ground for her psychoanalytic readings, which propose that these authors’ own processes of subconscious desire and identification are what motivate their depictions of the mother–infant dyad. However, the discussion of psychoanalytic theory itself (Freud and Kristeva) in Chapter 3 feels too brief, and one might have expected a rationale for why other interpretive paradigms were left aside. In particular, given that this study is centrally concerned with the political uses of biological essentialism, a response to gender theory since Judith Butler would have been welcome, even if only to clarify the author’s chosen approach. Nevertheless, Algazi Marcus’s clear-sighted analysis and impressive range of sources ensure that this is valuable and thought-provoking research.

8th ABM/EABM European Regional Conference May 11–13, 2023 Split, Croatia

8^th ABM/EABM European Regional Conference May 11–13, 2023 Split, Croatia

Beliefs and Norms Influencing Initiation and Sustenance of Exclusive Breastfeeding: Experiences of Mothers in Primary Health Care Facilities in Ermelo, South Africa.

Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is not a norm in many communities in South Africa despite the World Health Organizations' recommendations for EBF in the first six months of infant's life. Thus, South Africa continues to observe suboptimal and poor practices of EBF. The purpose of the study was to explore the experiences of mothers who are HIV-positive and negative on EBF and examine the extent to which initiation and sustenance of EBF is influenced by cultural beliefs, societal norms, and family norms and practices in Mpumalanga Province. Three focus group discussions and twelve in-depth interviews were conducted among thirty mothers who were purposively selected during their visits to the facilities for childcare services. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and transcripts were analysed through thematic analysis using NVivo version 10. Mothers were aged between 18 and 42 years, most were unemployed and were living in poor sociodemographic backgrounds in extended family households. We found evidence of factors that influence the decision to EBF and mix feed infants among mothers. Traditional and cultural beliefs and norms that exist within their communities informed decisions mothers took to EBF. These beliefs existed alongside mothers' opinions on breastfeeding (BF) and HIV infection, as well as the fears of harming the baby through HIV infection, leading to early cessation of BF. Mothers were also advised by family members, friends, and even some healthcare workers to use traditional medicines while BF. The association of EBF with sagging breasts and weight loss as well as discomfort with public BF are personal beliefs that influenced initiation and early cessation of EBF. Breastfeeding messages ought to be context specific to improve the knowledge, understanding, acceptance and practice of EBF among HIV-positive and negative mothers. Culturally appropriate counselling messages that address the known cultural practices of the populations affected are essential to changing the beliefs and norms of the communities including extended families of EBF mothers.

The Practice of Breastfeeding in Public and its Associated Factors Among Egyptian Mothers

Introduction: The practice of breastfeeding in public (BFP) is associated with the perceived social norms. No sufficient knowledge is available regarding this practice, the attitudes related, and the significant associated factors in Egypt. Aim: To assess the prevalence of BFP, attitudes, barriers, and enabling factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt, including breastfeeding mothers whose babies were ≤12 months of age. A predesigned validated interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Results: The study included 400 participants, 72.8% of them had practiced breastfeeding in public at least once. Regression analysis showed that being urban, high socioeconomic standard, having babies who were of normal birthweight and not the first in order were significant predictors of higher prevalence of BFP. Also, positive mother's attitude and having a family member who also practiced BFP were independent significant predictors. Finally, mothers who practiced breastfeeding in public are less likely to have supportive families' attitude. The most common causes of not practicing BFP is men's presence (94%), followed by husband disagreement (78.5%), absence of breast cover (69.3%), or feeling embarrassed (63.2%). Conclusion: Breastfeeding in public is a frequent practice among the studied mothers. Underlying factors associated with BFP can help guide tailored health education message to nursing mothers. Privacy was the keyword behind not practicing BFP.

Trust Black Women: Using Photovoice to Amplify the Voices of Black Women to Identify and Address Barriers to Breastfeeding in Southeast Georgia.

Barriers to breastfeeding for Black mothers are well documented in the literature. Local context is crucial for understanding and addressing barriers. Our research used the photovoice method to amplify the voices of Black mothers in Chatham County, Georgia. Guided by the sociol-ecological model, this photovoice project explored and identified the social, cultural, and physical barriers to breastfeeding that the mothers experienced. Two additional themes emerged through data analysis: personal comfort with public breastfeeding and the women's recommendations for breastfeeding support and normalization. Lack of physical spaces, lack of peer and family support, the need to overcome the stigma associated with breastfeeding, and advocating for more lactation spaces were commonly stated by the participants. These results led to the creation of a policy toolkit, a breastfeeding policy template, a proclamation to make the City of Savannah a Breastfeeding Family Friendly Community, an online photobook to share the experiences of the mothers, and additional paths of dialogue to increase inclusivity and expand health equity within Chatham County.

Health and Healing in the Early Modern Iberian World: A Gendered Perspective ed. by Margaret E. Boyle and Sarah E. Owens

Reviewed by: Health and Healing in the Early Modern Iberian World: A Gendered Perspective ed. by Margaret E. Boyle and Sarah E. Owens Jean Dangler Boyle, Margaret E., and Sarah E. Owens, editors. Health and Healing in the Early Modern Iberian World: A Gendered Perspective. U of Toronto P, 2021. Pp. 268. ISBN 978-1-4875-0518-9. This excellent collection of essays, titled Health and Healing in the Early Modern Iberian World: A Gendered Perspective, aims to shed new light on the roles of women and gender in health and healing in the early modern Iberian world from 1500 to 1800. Many readers will be familiar with this broad theme, but maybe not as it relates to the book’s inclusive lens, which encompasses the Iberian Peninsula and colonial Latin America. The editors state in the introduction that they seek to bring into dialogue healing practices from indigenous, continental Iberian, and African contexts, a goal that emerges as one of the volume’s many strengths. They further underscore the need to move beyond a series of narrow assumptions about early modern women and gender, such as the model of the healer-witch and women’s restricted social role as mothers. The volume covers topics from a range of areas and disciplines. It consists of an introduction and ten essays, which are divided into three sections: “Treatment Models” (four essays), “Representing Health” (three), and “Faith and Illness” (three). In the introduction, the editors situate the volume in the trajectory of recent work on the links between the humanities and narrative medicine, and of questions about health that arise in today’s continuing global pandemic. However, deeper engagement with these connections will have to be taken up elsewhere. The book’s more focused framework includes recent transatlantic approaches to science and medicine, and to women and gender, as well as the importance of studying gender with attention to women and men, as opposed to centering only on women, or on individual women as exceptional. This more ample approach makes the book a welcome addition to recent scholarly trends. The first essay is the outstanding critical case study, “Healing across Ideological Boundaries in Late Seventeenth-Century Madrid,” by Carolin Schmitz and María Luz López-Terrada, who explore the biography of María Sánchez de la Rosa, a healer in late seventeenth-century Madrid. The historical record demonstrates Sánchez de la Rosa’s expertise and renown, although it also shows the fragility and transitory qualities of women’s work, since the legal accusations and trials against her ultimately led to the demise of her reputation. In “Killer Skin Care: Gender and Venereal Disease Experiences in Colonial Lima,” Kathleen M. Kole de Peralta examines women’s treatment of venereal disease (bubas) in sixteenth-century Lima. Kole de Peralta’s superb work confirms previous findings that portray women’s healing as dangerous when occurring outside men’s control. Sarah E. Owens’s thought-provoking “Convent Medicine, Healing, and Hierarchy in Arequipa, Peru” illuminates the power struggles that ensued between male physicians who were assigned to late eighteenth-century convents and the indigenous and African women healers whom patients often preferred. The chapter also examines the European medicines and indigenous foods that were used in healing practice. Karen Stolley’s provocative “Leche and lagartijas: Injecting the Local into Eighteenth-Century Spanish American Medical Discourse” explores two substances, milk and lizards, to show how medical practices were managed in eighteenth-century Latin America. Lizards were used by indigenous cultures in the cure of cancer, inflammation, and ulcers, becoming part of what Stolley calls the “transatlantic pharmacopeia.” [End Page 458] Part two opens with Emily Colbert Cairns’s “Breastfeeding in Public? Representations of Breastfeeding in Early Modern Spain.” Colbert Cairns studies how, much like the present, representations of lactation from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century depict women’s bodies as “open to public debate” (116), and as further mediating larger social problems of racial purity, patriarchal control, and lineage. Sherry Velasco’s “The Queer (Evil) eye and Deviant Healing on the Early Modern Stage” explores the ways in which an entremés shifts the focus of the traditional blame for the mal de...

Do Brelfies Help to Normalize Breastfeeding in Public: Lewd or Food?

ABSTRACT Often, lack of support results in early termination of breastfeeding compromising infant health. Lactivists argue one way to normalize public breastfeeding is by posting brelfies on social network sites. An online experiment tested a 2 × 2 between-subjects factorial design. Participants (N = 296) were randomly assigned to one of the four experimental conditions varying the valence of comments or the control where no user comments were present. Most participants posted supportive comments. Compared to participants who only viewed brelfies, those who read any type of comment posted by other users showed negative attributions and emotions to brelfies. A number of other variables were also measured. Identification with other social media users was associated with approval for posting brelfies and supporting mothers. Emotional arousal and cognitive appraisal may be two sources of stigma about comments for brelfies even though people recognize that breastfeeding is an important health issue.

122 “It’s okay with our culture but were in a different place and we have to show respect”: Marshallese migration and the impact on exclusive breastfeeding initiation

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Pacific Islanders have some of the lowest rates of initiation and duration of exclusive breastfeeding compared to other racial women once they migrate to the United States. The purpose of this study is to identify infant feeding initiation, beliefs, and experiences of Marshallese women living in the United States soon after delivery. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: This study used an exploratory, descriptive qualitative design with 36 Marshallese women residing in the United States from July 2019 to July 2020. A Community Based Participatory Research Approach was used to design and implement the study. This approach enables the respect and integration of Marshallese cultural values and practices into every aspect of the research All study plans and documents – including recruitment plans and forms, consent plans and forms, retention plans, quantitative surveys, and qualitative interview guides – were developed in partnership with Marshallese research team members. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Two themes emerged: 1) Infant Feeding Initiation and Practices; and 2) Concerns of Breastfeeding in Public. Within the first theme, two subthemes emerged: 1) Breast and Formula-Feeding; and 2) Return to Work. Within the second theme, two subthemes emerged: 1) Personal Beliefs about Breastfeeding in Public; and 2) Acculturation and Breastfeeding in Public. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first study to document beliefs about exclusive breastfeeding initiation among Marshallese women living in the United States. Findings from this study can be used to develop health education programs to improve exclusive breastfeeding and can be used to stimulate future research in the area of breastfeeding among Pacific Islander women.

It\u2019s just a breast: an examination of the effects of sexualization, sexism, and breastfeeding familiarity on evaluations of public breastfeeding

BackgroundDespite the legal right to breastfeed in public, women may be concerned about negative reactions from others, which may in turn impact their decision to breastfeed in public. The current study examined whether women breastfeeding in public (e.g., at a coffee shop) would be evaluated differently than women breastfeeding in private (e.g., at home) and explored several explanations for the possible differences: sexualization of the female breast (including the perceivers’ gender and sexual comfort level, as well as the exposure of the breast while breastfeeding), sexist attitudes, and familiarity with breastfeeding.MethodsIn August 2018, 506 adult participants, residing in the United States and recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk, were randomly assigned to view an image of a woman breastfeeding (or not) while wearing a cover (or not), in a private or public location. Participants then completed measures of their emotional responses, perceptions, and behavioral intentions toward the woman in the image as well as their sexual comfort level, hostile and benevolent sexism, and knowledge of and experience with breastfeeding.ResultsPeople had more favorable evaluations of breastfeeding (vs. non-breastfeeding) women, especially when they had greater sexual comfort, were more knowledgeable about breastfeeding, and were parents with at least one child who was breastfed. The location (public vs. private) and the presence or absence of a cover did not differentially influence evaluations of breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding women, nor did participants’ gender or level of sexist attitudes.ConclusionsIn general, people’s evaluations of breastfeeding appear to be favorable to the degree that the location of the breastfeeding is not particularly relevant to those evaluations.

Successful breastfeeding among women with intention to breastfeed: From physiology to socio-cultural factors

BackgroundEven if women have intention to breastfeed, they do not always achieve a successful breastfeeding. AimThis study aims to analyse factors affecting breastfeeding prevalence among mothers that intended to breastfeed. MethodsThis is a prospective observational study involving 401 pregnant women that intended to breastfeed (asked at the 20th week). Breastfeeding prevalence was evaluated in reference to health-related, socio-cultural factors and healthcare professionals' interventions at 1 month, 6 months and 12 months after birth. Data were analysed using descriptive statistical methods, bivariate logistic regression and multivariate logistic regression modelling. ResultsIndependent factors negatively affecting breastfeeding prevalence related to mothers' and newborns' health parameters and birth characteristics included smoking during pregnancy, anaemia and use of analgesia during labour. Regarding sociocultural parameters, being an immigrant, higher education level, intention to breastfeed before pregnancy, comfort with public breastfeeding and bedsharing were positively linked to breastfeeding, while teat or pacifier use in the first week was negatively linked. Regarding healthcare professionals' practices, mother and father/partner antenatal education course attendance and exclusive breastfeeding at the hospital were positively associated with breastfeeding. ConclusionBreastfeeding is a very complex phenomenon affected by multiple and diverse variables. Physiological factors only affect the short term (1st month), while middle and long term BF affecting variables are mainly identical and include mostly socio-cultural factors and also BF related practices, especially in the first days after birth. These data should help to develop more effective breastfeeding promotion strategies.

Article: "Too Old" and "Too Cold": Discomfort Towards Photographs of Breastfeeding Beyond Infancy and Public Breastfeeding in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Background:Social norms and public perception of breastfeeding are well-established predictors of breastfeeding outcomes; however, little is known about perceptions of breastfeeding beyond infancy or public breastfeeding among the public in Nova Scotia, Canada.Research Aim:To explore public opinion about breastfeeding beyond infancy and public breastfeeding.Methods:In this cross-sectional study participants were recruited from public spaces in Nova Scotia, Canada. Using photo elicitation methods, participants (N = 229) viewed six photographs of breastfeeding children aged 2 weeks, 13 months, and 2.5 years, one photograph captured at home, and the other in a public space (a café, a store, or outdoors). Participants were asked to score their self-rated comfort with each photograph on a 10.0 cm visual analog scale and asked to share their feelings about each photograph (open-ended responses).Results:Mean (SD) visual analog scale comfort scores for photographs differed by location (private, 7.9 [2.2]; public, 7.3 [2.6]; p < .05) and child age (2 weeks, 8.5 [2.0]; 13 months, 7.5 [2.6]; 2.5 years, 6.9 [3.0]; p < .05). Participants who identified as women and parents self-reported significantly higher comfort with all photographs, while younger participants and urban dwellers were generally less comfortable. Open-ended responses varied considerably, but a higher proportion of negative comments were reported for older children feeding in public spaces (e.g., 2.5-year-old in public: “Inappropriate. Indecent. Abnormal.”).Conclusion:Given the importance of social norms in supporting breastfeeding, future public health campaigns should strive to normalize breastfeeding beyond infancy, and in public spaces.

Perspectives on Breastfeeding from Mothers with Postpartum Depression Symptoms: A Qualitative Assessment of Antecedents, Barriers, Facilitators, and Intervention Suggestions.

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is one of the most common birthing complications, and studies negatively associate PPD with breastfeeding initiation and continuation. However, little is known about either the breastfeeding experience of mothers with PPD or what resources mothers need for sustained breastfeeding from their perspectives. This study aimed to identify the antecedents, barriers, and facilitators to breastfeeding for mothers with PPD, understand the relationship between self-efficacy and emergent themes, and generate suggestions to inform supportive interventions. Materials and Methods: Birth mothers who screened positive for PPD and reported breastfeeding were recruited to participate in semistructured interviews. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and inter-coder discrepancies from double coding were resolved through consensus. Thematic analysis was facilitated using immersion-crystallization methods. Results: Participants identified five antecedent themes that encourage initiation (professional support, infant health, mother's health, cost-effectiveness, and faith), four facilitator themes for sustained breastfeeding (infant connection, decreased stress, personal attributes, and logistical strategies), and seven barrier themes (physical pain, infant nutrition, negative feelings, latching difficulties, medical conditions, public breastfeeding, and sleep). Participants' suggestions fell into three primary themes: supportive services, managing expectations, and respecting self-determination. Conclusion: Antecedent and facilitator themes did not overlap, indicating that factors encouraging breastfeeding initiation differ from sustaining factors. Participant suggestions, barriers, and facilitators did not largely differ from mothers without PPD in other qualitative studies. Therefore, interventions should tailor support to specific breastfeeding phase and may not need to be markedly different for mothers with PPD, in addition to depression management.

Atuação do enfermeiro no processo da amamentação

A amamentação é um processo multifatorial que traz benefícios à mãe e à criança. A promoção do aleitamento exclusivo até os seis meses de idade é imprescindível para a redução da morbidade e mortalidade infantil. Nesse contexto o profissional da enfermagem atua na promoção de informação e estímulo ao aleitamento desde o início da gestação e promove a aplicação de técnicas adequadas para uma amamentação satisfatória. Dada a relevância do tema, o objetivo do presente estudo foi realizar um levantamento bibliográfico qualitativo acerca da atuação do profissional da enfermagem no processo de amamentação. Para tal, realizou-se uma busca nas principais bases de dados científicos utilizando as palavras-chave: Aleitamento materno, enfermagem, amamentação, enfermeiro. A revisão foi estruturada de forma a apresentar a importância do aleitamento materno na a saúde da mãe e da criança, o papel do enfermeiro nesse processo e o avanço de políticas públicas de amamentação no Brasil. Com isso, o presente trabalho pode concluir que é unânime na literatura a importância do aleitamento materno exclusivo até os seis meses de idade da criança e que o profissional da enfermagem tem papel decisivo na adequada aplicação de técnicas e estímulos do que tange o processo de amamentação adequado.

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.

Factors affecting attitude towards breastfeeding in public: a cross-sectional web-based study on Polish women

AimBreastfeeding is believed to be beneficial to both mother and child. Although the percentage of Polish mothers who start breastfeeding after childbirth is relatively high, most of them finish after 8–12 weeks. Many factors are involved in the decision to stop, including an unfavourable social attitude towards breastfeeding in public. Our cross-sectional web-based study was conducted to identify the factors predicting negative attitudes towards public breastfeeding among Polish women.Subjects and methodsA population-based internet-administered public opinion survey was conducted among 663 women aged 19 to 50 years old regarding their attitude towards breastfeeding in public. The participants completed a questionnaire concerning demographic data, general beliefs about breastfeeding and attitudes towards breastfeeding in public.ResultsOverall, 46.6% of respondents had a negative attitude towards breastfeeding in public. Multivariable logistic regression analysis found that the beliefs that breastfeeding is not a natural activity [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 17.54; 95% CI = 1.44–21.95] and that breastfeeding is not emotionally moving (AOR = 8.73; 95% CI = 3.950–19.30) or not having any opinion (AOR = 2.31; 95% CI: 1.18–4.50) to play the most significant roles in shaping a negative attitude, as well as breastfeeding their own child for < 6 months (AOR = 13.93; 95% CI = 0.14–20.24).ConclusionsAs women’s beliefs about breastfeeding play a key role in choosing to breastfeed in public, there is a need to further explore attitudes regarding this activity.

Breast is Best, but Where? Hostile Sexism Underlies Men's Opposition to Breastfeeding in Public

AbstractBreastfeeding in public remains controversial in many Western nations. Prior work reveals that restrictive gender role attitudes and hostility toward women's empowerment contribute to the policing of women's bodies, especially when it comes to breastfeeding in public. Using a national sample of New Zealand adults (N = 16,789), we investigated the relationships of hostile and benevolent sexism with attitudes toward breastfeeding in public, as well as the potential moderating effects of gender. Results revealed that, although benevolent sexism only positively correlated with opposition to public breastfeeding for women, hostile sexism correlated positively with opposition to public breastfeeding among both women and men. These results suggest that opposition to breastfeeding in public is primarily rooted in hostile attitudes toward women who are perceived as violating traditional gender roles. Accordingly, social and health policies including information campaigns that reduce hostilely sexist stigmas of breastfeeding in public could help promote women's breastfeeding autonomy.

Breastfeeding trends, influences, and perceptions among Italian women: a qualitative study

ABSTRACT Purpose: Breastfeeding behaviours are routinely assessed in worldwide capacities, and the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region has the lowest rates of exclusive breastfeeding. Rates in Italy are not well documented but suggest breastfeeding rates are rising since the early 2000s. Professional recommendations suggest exclusive breastfeeding should persist until the infant is at least six to twelve months of age. However, barriers to adhering to this recommendation exist, often resulting in a lack of initiation or premature cessation of breastfeeding behaviours. This study explored women’s perceptions, attitudes, and experiences with breastfeeding living in Florence, Italy. Methods: Participants were 44 reproductive-aged (M = 31.7 ± 6.14; Range = 19 to 45 years) women currently utilizing the Italian healthcare system. All participants completed an in-depth, individual interview between June and August 2017 on topics related to reproductive health, including breastfeeding. Results: Resulting themes relate to breastfeeding trends and influences, the role of identity and empowered choice, as well as perspectives on public breastfeeding. Conclusions: Findings provide practical recommendations for future exploration and social marketing campaign application related to breastfeeding decision-making empowerment. Results can also be used for between-country comparison of breastfeeding behaviours and attitudes.

Exploration of the Factors Influencing Attitudes to Breastfeeding in Public.

Negative attitudes toward breastfeeding in public have consistently been identified as a key barrier to breastfeeding continuation. In order to design effective social marketing campaigns to improve public attitude toward breastfeeding in public, it is critical to identify segments of the population who are less likely to support this activity, their underlying reasons, and the medium through which they can be reached. The aims were to (a) identify the underlying dimensions that drive acceptance or opposition to breastfeeding in public, (b) test whether specific population segments were more or less likely to support breastfeeding in public, and (c) identify suitable media outlets to reach them. A cross-sectional survey testing agreement with 60 statements was administered online between May 2016 and May 2017 and was completed by 7190 respondents. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify 12 dimensions driving acceptance or opposition to breastfeeding in public. The influence of demographics and media consumption on attitudes toward breastfeeding in public was tested using Welch's t tests and one-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs). Acceptance of breastfeeding in public was found to differ with gender, age, religion, and parental and breastfeeding status, but not household income. Support for breastfeeding in public also varied with media consumption habits. This work lays the foundation to design effective social marketing campaigns aimed at increasing public support for breastfeeding in public.

Assessment of Differences in Breastfeeding Knowledge and Comfort with Breastfeeding in Public among College Students from Varying Countries of Origin

Assessment of Differences in Breastfeeding Knowledge and Comfort with Breastfeeding in Public among College Students from Varying Countries of Origin