National survey of attitudes towards breastfeeding: U.S. males ages 21-44

Background: Lack of familial support, particularly from fathers or partners, has

been identified by the U.S. Surgeon General as a barrier to breastfeeding. Although

partners have been identified as an important source of breastfeeding support,

research on what U.S. men’s knowledge about and attitudes towards breastfeeding

is limited.

Methods: We conducted an internet panel survey of 502 U.S. males aged 21-44

years, including the 17-item Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS) and a series of

demographic questions adapted from the BRFSS. Frequencies, proportions and means,

were calculated and Analysis of Variance used to test differences in the mean IIFAS

scale score across demographic groups. A Multiple linear regression model was used to

identify predictors of IIFAS score.

Results: The mean IIFAS score in our sample was 57 (SD=8.13) out of a possible 85.

College graduates, men 40-44 years, and those in married couples scored higher on the

IIFAS. Fathers scored significantly higher on the test than non-fathers (p=0.007), and a

significant trend was seen with education (college highest, p=0.0034) and race (White

highest, Other lowest, p=0.01). After adjusting for race and education, fathers scored

1.62 points higher than non-fathers, while other non-Hispanic males scored 2.58 points

lower after adjusting for education and fatherhood status.

Conclusions: Male participants in the sample demonstrated good knowledge and

neutral to moderately positive attitudes about breastfeeding. Increased understanding

of men’s attitudes toward breastfeeding may inform interventions to encourage support

of breastfeeding in this population.