# Presentation: 108584

## The National Breastfeeding Awareness Campaign

- Suzanne Haynes, Ph.D.
- Senior Science Advisor
- The Office on Women’s Health

- Federal Breastfeeding Priorities and Initiatives

## Office on Women’s Health Initiates Campaign in June 2004

- Overall goal — increase the proportion of first time and low SES mothers who breastfeed their babies in:
- Early postpartum period from 69% to 75%
- From 33% to 50% still breastfeeding at 6 months postpartum by the year 2010 (HP 2010)
- Focus on exclusive breastfeeding at initiation and for 6 months
- Ad Council (_www.adcouncil.org_) selects campaign for sponsorship in 2002

## Millward Brown Survey Questions – April to May 2004

- What do you think is the recommended number of months to exclusively breastfeed a baby, meaning baby is only fed breastmilk?
- Only 1 in 4 felt that 6 months is the recommended length of time to exclusively breastfeed a baby.  15% thought the recommendation was 12 months

## Survey Questions (cont.)

- Babies should be exclusively breastfed for at least the first 6 months (strongly agree to strongly disagree)
-  Only 29% of the respondents strongly agreed that babies should be exclusively breastfed for at least the first 6 months.

## Survey Questions (cont.)

- How strongly do you agree that if a baby is breastfed, s/he is less likely to get ear infections, respiratory illness, become obese, or get diarrhea?
- Respondents strongly or somewhat strongly agreed that breastfeeding means fewer respiratory illnesses (50%) and ear infections (48%) but fewer saw benefits for preventing diarrhea (39%) and obesity (35%).

## Rational & Emotional Dimensions

**RATIONAL**

**EMOTIONAL**

**CONFIDENCE**

**CONSEQUENCE**

- You can do it.
- You can do anything.

- Women just like
- you breastfeed.
- It is the thing
- to do.

- Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months
- provides a lifetime of benefits for your baby.

- Children who are breastfed are less likely to get a variety of illnesses or conditions.

## It’s not an awareness issue – it’s a conversion issue

- Strategic Implications

- How we speak to benefits                                   needs to be *reframed** *to                               overcome barriers

- Need to bolster confidence and create a sense of personal *empowerment*

- Require clarity of an attainable                              goal for *duration*

## Campaign Components & Audience June-Sept 2004

- TV — 17,488,000 people
- Print — 600,000 people
- Magazines — 145,000 people
- Interactive media — 55,000,000 people
- At a minimum — 73,233,000 people viewed/heard the PSAs in these mediums
- Website — Before campaign 29,000 users/after campaign to 39,000 users per month
- Warm-line calls — 140 to 262 callers per month
*(****Please note, results do not include radio audiences—data not available)***
** **

## Local Outreach: Community-Based Demonstration Projects

- OWH has funded 18 community-based demonstration projects (CDPs)
- The CDPs listed at _www.4woman.gov_ include:
- Breastfeeding coalitions
- Hospitals, universities
- State health departments and other organizations

**Notes:**
CDPs throughout the United States will implement the National Breastfeeding Awareness Campaign at the local level.  

Their activities include:

Continuing existing breastfeeding outreach and services
Training healthcare providers
Media outreach for the campaign and on breastfeeding
Tracking breastfeeding rates in their communities
Convening an advisory group for the campaign and breastfeeding outreach in the community
Creating and manning a breastfeeding helpline to offer breastfeeding support to local community

## Community-Based Demonstration Project Locations

**Notes:**
There are 18 Community Based Demonstration Projects are located across the US and in Puerto Rico:
Atlanta, Georgia					
Birmingham, Alabama
Boston, Massachusetts
Camden, New Jersey
Chicago, Illinois
Kansas City, Missouri
Knoxville, Tennessee
Los Angeles, California
New Orleans, Louisiana
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Portland, Oregon
Providence, Rhode Island
Pueblo, Colorado
Rosebud, South Dakota
San Francisco, California
San Juan, Puerto Rico
St. Paul, Minnesota
Washington, DC

## For More Information.......

- www.4women.gov/breastfeeding
- 1-800-994-WOMAN