Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-2023
Keywords
Breastfeeding; Psychological attitudes; Lactation; Health economics; Infants
Abstract
Breastfeeding is often considered principally a biological issue but success is impacted by the socio-ecological environment of the lactating parent. Identifying current attitudes towards breastfeeding is essential in the effort toward normalizing breastfeeding in communities, including university campuses. The study explored campus community knowledge, awareness, and attitudes about breastfeeding, including available resources and applicable laws on two university campuses in the southern United States. This cross-sectional, self-reporting study utilized the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale and an adaptation of the Breastfeeding Behavior Questionnaire to survey a convenience sample. Results revealed decreased awareness of protective laws, availability of private lactation space, and insufficient public appreciation of breastfeeding’s unique advantages to both lactating parent and infant as barriers to breastfeeding. These findings will help develop additional breastfeeding strategies to improve university campus community breastfeeding initiatives.
Citation
Scott, A. L., Lambert, A. W., Wang, C., Johnson, K. V., Weiss, J., & Stankus, T. (2023). University Campus Breastfeeding, Knowledge, and Perceptions of Support: An Exploratory Study. PLoS ONE, 18 (5), e0285008. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285008
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Included in
Family Practice Nursing Commons, Maternal, Child Health and Neonatal Nursing Commons, Nursing Midwifery Commons, Pediatric Nursing Commons
Comments
This article was published with support from the Open Access Publishing Fund administered through the University of Arkansas Libraries.