223007 Social network support and breastfeeding initiation and duration: A qualitative study

Wednesday, November 10, 2010 : 1:30 PM - 1:50 PM

Marycatherine Augustyn, PhD , Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Caitlin Cross-Barnet, MA , Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Joy P. Nanda, DSc, MS, MHS, MBA , Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Susan Gross, PhD, MPH, RD , Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Amy Resnik, MS, RD, CSP, LDN , Maryland WIC Program, Maryland State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Balitmore, MD
David M. Paige, MD MPH , Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
  
Introduction: Maryland WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselors (PC) provide participants with breastfeeding education and support to improve breastfeeding outcomes. However, many Maryland WIC clients don't initiate, or prematurely abandon breastfeeding. Numerous factors predict breastfeeding initiation and duration, including support from the infant's father and grandmother, friends, and family. We report qualitative analysis results of emergent themes associated with this breastfeeding support and breastfeeding outcomes. Design: As a component of an evaluation of the MD WIC Breastfeeding PC program, a convenience sample of WIC Breastfeeding PC clients with infants were interviewed at 3 Maryland WIC clinics. Non initiators (NI) and women who breastfed for various durations are included. Results: When dichotomized into NI and initiators, NI were more likely to have had opposition from their infant's father and more likely to have heard negative breastfeeding feedback from friends/family, most often pain related. While NI had less opposition from their own mothers, they were also less likely to have mothers who breastfed or wanted them to breastfeed. When initiators were categorized according to breastfeeding duration (≤ 1 month; > 1 month), there were few differences in father and grandmother support, and negative reports from friends. Discussion: Results indicate that while infant's father and friends play an important role in breastfeeding initiation, this may not be the case for duration, indicating that prenatal breastfeeding education and support should especially target the client and their support network to increase initiation. Postnatal breastfeeding education and support remains critical for the breastfeeding woman to increase breastfeeding duration.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Program planning

Learning Objectives:
Describe the relationship between social network support and breastfeeding initiation and duration in a low income population.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to present because I designed the qualitative evalution component of the MF Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program and conducted interviews.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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