FACTORS PREDICTING BREAST FEEDING SUCCESS (SUPPORT).
Contributors: University of Oregon.
Published: 1984
Number of pages: 92
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: At a time of increased interest in and support for breast feeding, health care professionals have an obligation to identify women who, having elected to breast feed, are at risk of failure. This study examined the relationship between individual, family, socio-cultural, and pregnancy--delivery experience factors (independent variables) with breast feeding success (dependent variable).

Complete data from 84 primiparous women was compiled from prenatal and post-natal questionnaires including the Pregnancy Research Inventory (PRI). Pearson product-moment correlations were calculated for each of the independent variables with the dependent variable. Discriminant analysis was undertaken to examine the relationship among the independent variables and to evaluate the relative weight and best combination of independent variables to explain breast feeding success. Feelings about and during the pregnancy (as measured by the PRI), education, income and the type of delivery (normal vaginal or caesarean section) were found to contribute significantly to a model to predict breast feeding success. Further refinement of a tool to measure perceptions of family support was suggested. The need for replication of the study with a more heterogeneous sample was also noted. The findings were evaluated in relationship to relevant research and theory.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-07, Section: B, page: 2102.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF OREGON, 1984.

School code: 0171.