Dr. Ashish Joshi, professor at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, along with colleagues examined the association between socio-demographic characteristics and breastfeeding knowledge, self-efficacy and a breastfeeding attrition prediction tool among rural Hispanic women in Nebraska. Their research was published in the Journal of Community Health.
[Photo: Dr. Ashish Joshi]
Participants were enrolled during last six weeks of pregnancy. Follow-up assessments were at days three and seven, weeks two and six, and months 3 and 6 postpartum. Participants were randomized to the intervention (a computer-based breastfeeding educational support program) or to the attention control group (bilingual breastfeeding printed educational material provided during prenatal care). More than half of participants were single and had 10-12 years of education. Less than half of the participants with other children had ever breastfed.
There was a significant positive association between breastfeeding self-efficacy and the breastfeeding attrition prediction tool. Self-efficacy was strongly associated with intention to breastfeed among women in this study.