Attitudes of High School and Vocational School Students Toward Breastfeeding in Taiwan

Abstract

Infant feeding decisions depend on breastfeeding attitudes. This study examined the high school and the vocational school students' attitudes toward breastfeeding. The descriptive cross-section survey was applied. A stratifi ed random sample of 1,319 male and female students was carried out. The results revealed that female students were more positive than male students in breastfeeding attitudes. Of the female students, 34.7%( n ϭ 458) reported that they will plan to breastfeed, and 29% ( n ϭ 382) male students indicated that they will encourage breastfeeding. Moreover, two-thirds (60.7%, n ϭ 801) of the participants favored the inclusion of breastfeeding information in the school curriculum. Findings from this study suggest that breastfeeding information needs to be addressed earlier among adolescent students to increase positive breastfeeding attitudes.The Journal of Perinatal Education, 23 (2), 89-95, http://dx

Stakeholder views of breastfeeding education in schools: a systematic mixed studies review of the literature

“…The results of research on the attitudes toward breastfeeding for secondary male and female students are mixed. Some studies demonstrate positive attitudes towards breastfeeding [25–30], while other results are neutral or negative [25, 31]. Even students with positive attitudes towards breastfeeding can lack specific knowledge of breastfeeding and infant feeding recommendations [8, 9, 22, 25, 29, 30, 32–37].…”

“…Primary [23, 24] and secondary [10, 11, 27, 31, 38, 40, 41] school children are receptive to breastfeeding education in schools. Secondary school students also recognize that education has the potential to increase awareness and knowledge of breastfeeding and help normalize breastfeeding [10, 27, 38, 42].…”

“…Comparatively, only 6.6% of 136 female students in Indonesia recalled learning about breastfeeding in school [44]. In similar research in the United States, England, Northern Ireland, and Taiwan, approximately one fourth of secondary students reported receiving information about breastfeeding in high school [10, 31, 38, 40, 45]. In contrast, 52% of girls in Bahrain and 48.6% of students in Nigeria recalled being taught about infant feeding in school [26, 29].…”

Psychometric Properties of the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale among a Multiethnic Population during Pregnancy

“…11 In addition, the wording of items makes it possible to use the self-report tool with a variety of groups, such as undergraduate students, 14 fathers, 15 and adolescents. 16 An understanding of maternal knowledge and attitudes toward infant feeding is essential for encouraging more women to initiate and continue to breastfeed exclusively. 12,17 Results from the aforementioned studies are subject to methodological limitations, however.…”

The effectiveness of nursing intervention on breastfeeding-related problems among nursing mothers in selected primary health clinics in Lagos, Nigeria

“…Breast milk contains nutrients at percentages exactly suited to the needs of the infant for growth and development [4]. The importance of appropriate infant feeding and the vital role played by breastfeeding in child survival, growth, and development cannot be overemphasized [5,6]. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended two years breastfeeding; fi rst six of month's exclusive breastfeeding; more than eight times breastfeeding per day in the fi rst three months of an infant's life [7].…”