BAKER, SUSAN SHACKELFORD. The Infant Feeding Decision: A Survey of Limited-Resource
Women in North Carolina. (Under the direction of Dr. Robert David Mustian.)
The purpose of this study was to identify factors affecting the infant feeding
decisions of limited-resource women in North Carolina. Additionally, the study
examined the relationships between these demographic and familial factors and
maternal perceived barriers on the infant feeding decision.
Three research questions guided the study: 1) Do the influences on the infant
feeding decision differ according to these demographic factors? (race/ethnicity,
place of residence, level of education, age marital status); 2) Do the following
familial factors influence the infant feeding decision and, if so, to what extent?
(infant feeding method by which the respondent herself was fed, respondent?s
previous infant feeding experiences, infant feeding methods of family members
and friends, presence of the respondent?s romantic partner, and the composition
of the household); and 3) Do the following perceived barriers influence the
infant feeding decision and, if so, to what extent? (attitudes of prenatal healthcare
providers, attitudes of postpartum healthcare providers, plans for returning
to work or school, maternal beliefs/perceptions about infant feeding methods,
and attitudes of family members/friends toward infant feeding methods).
Among the respondents, the majority of the breastfeeding mothers were white,
married, over 20 years of age, and held at least a high school diploma or GED.
Data analysis revealed that a majority of respondents either ?always
knew? how they would feed their babies, or they made their infant feeding
decisions during pregnancy; a small percentage made their infant feeding decisions
while hospitalized. A significant relationship was observed between ethnicity
and the infant feeding method choice, with Caucasians being more likely than
other groups to breastfeed exclusively. Respondents who reported having ?some
college? or a ?college degree? were significantly more likely
to exclusively breastfeed than were respondents who reported having ?some
high school? or ?high school graduate/GED.? The relationship
between the infant feeding decision and maternal attitudes was significant.
Respondents who chose to breastfeed exclusively, as well as respondents who
fed their infants a combination of breast milk and formula, expressed positive
influences on their infant feeding decision.
