Biomaterial Database

What do pregnant low-income women say about breastfeeding? 2010

Ashley Alexander, and Donna Dowling, and Lydia Furman

Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

BACKGROUND Although low socioeconomic status and African-American race have been shown to be risk factors for low rates of breastfeeding, maternal reasons for selection of infant feeding method are not well understood in these populations. METHODS Healthy women > or =15 years of age receiving routine obstetrical care from nurses and nurse midwives at the outpatient clinic of MacDonald Women's Hospital, Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH were surveyed using a questionnaire interview including Likert-scaled and open-ended questions. All responses to the six open-ended queries were transcribed. Content analysis was used to categorize these responses into three to seven descriptive themes for each question. The authors and two other clinically experienced reviewers participated in theme development, which involved categorization by individual reviewers and then by the group; a full consensus was achieved at each stage. University Hospitals Institutional Review Board approved the study. RESULTS Of 186 eligible women, 179 (96%) consented, and 176 (95%) were interviewed. Median age was 22 years (range, 15-41 years), 68 (41%) had greater than a high school education, 167 (95%) were African-American, 167 (non-identical 95%) were unmarried, and 87 (49%) were multiparous. When interviewees were asked, "What is the biggest reason you want to breastfeed?," responses included maternal reasons, infant-related reasons, and advice of others. When women were asked, "What would stop you from breastfeeding?," responses included lifestyle reasons, pain-related reasons, lactation process issues, hypothetical medical reasons, and maternal reluctance. CONCLUSIONS Expectant low-income African-American inner-city women appear well informed about the benefits of breastfeeding. Obstacles to breastfeeding that may be susceptible to intervention include fear of pain, lifestyle issues, and lactation process concerns. "I want to breastfeed because I don't want to get up in the middle of the night." "I wouldn't breastfeed if it hurt." "He [the father of my baby] does not want me to breastfeed because the baby might want to suck on his nipples."

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007227	Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena	Nutritional physiology of children from birth to 2 years of age.	Infant Nutrition Physiology,Nutrition Physiology, Infant,Complementary Feeding,Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomenon,Infant Nutritional Physiology,Supplementary Feeding,Complementary Feedings,Feeding, Complementary,Feeding, Supplementary,Feedings, Complementary,Feedings, Supplementary,Nutritional Physiology, Infant,Physiology, Infant Nutrition,Physiology, Infant Nutritional,Supplementary Feedings
D007231	Infant, Newborn	An infant during the first 28 days after birth.	Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D007775	Lactation Disorders	Disturbances of MILK secretion in either SEX, not necessarily related to PREGNANCY.	Hypogalactia,Disorder, Lactation,Disorders, Lactation,Hypogalactias,Lactation Disorder
D008019	Life Style	Typical way of life or manner of living characteristic of an individual or group. (From APA, Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms, 8th ed)	Lifestyle Factors,Life Style Induced Illness,Lifestyle,Factor, Lifestyle,Life Styles,Lifestyle Factor,Lifestyles
D009035	Mothers	Female parents, human or animal.	Mothers' Clubs,Club, Mothers',Clubs, Mothers',Mother,Mother Clubs,Mother's Clubs,Mothers Clubs,Mothers' Club
D010146	Pain	An unpleasant sensation induced by noxious stimuli which are detected by NERVE ENDINGS of NOCICEPTIVE NEURONS.	Suffering, Physical,Ache,Pain, Burning,Pain, Crushing,Pain, Migratory,Pain, Radiating,Pain, Splitting,Aches,Burning Pain,Burning Pains,Crushing Pain,Crushing Pains,Migratory Pain,Migratory Pains,Pains, Burning,Pains, Crushing,Pains, Migratory,Pains, Radiating,Pains, Splitting,Physical Suffering,Physical Sufferings,Radiating Pain,Radiating Pains,Splitting Pain,Splitting Pains,Sufferings, Physical
D011203	Poverty	A situation in which the level of living of an individual, family, or group is below the standard of the community. It is often related to a specific income level.	Federal Poverty Level,Federal Poverty Threshold,Indigency,Low-Income Population,Absolute Poverty,Extreme Poverty,Indigents,Low Income Population,Federal Poverty Levels,Indigent,Level, Federal Poverty,Low Income Populations,Low-Income Populations,Population, Low Income,Population, Low-Income,Poverty Level, Federal,Poverty Threshold, Federal,Poverty, Absolute,Poverty, Extreme
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D011446	Prospective Studies	Observation of a population for a sufficient number of persons over a sufficient number of years to generate incidence or mortality rates subsequent to the selection of the study group.	Prospective Study,Studies, Prospective,Study, Prospective
D011795	Surveys and Questionnaires	Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions.	Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response