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Intent to breast-feed: the impact of attitudes, norms, parity, and experience
Amy S Kloeblen-Tarver1, Nancy J Thompson, Kathleen R Miner
1Department of Nutrition Services, Grady Health System, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA. ASKtarver@aol.com
Objective:
To examine the influence of breast-feeding attitudes, social norms, and prior experience on predicting breast-feeding intention utilizing the theories of reasoned action and planned behavior.
Methods:
Low-income pregnant women (n = 963) completed a theory-based questionnaire.
Results:
Attitudes were more predictive of breast-feeding intention than were norms, regardless of parity or prior behavior. Among multiparous women, amount of prior breast-feeding experience contributed independently to predicting breast-feeding intention and rendered norms insignificant.
Conclusion:
Results support the theories. Breast-feeding promotions targeting low-income women should emphasize enhancing women's personal breast-feeding attitudes, and, among primiparous women, promoting positive breast-feeding attitudes among their significant others.