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Intention or Experience? Predictors of Continued Breastfeeding

Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia

Nancy Thompson, PhD

Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia

Reynaldo Martorell, PhD

Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia

Sara Fein, PhD

Consumer Studies Team, Food and Drug Administration, College Park, Maryland

Laurence Grummer-Strawn, PhD

Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

Despite the known benefits of breastfeeding, many women do not breastfeed their infants or stop breastfeeding early. This study examines the effects of prenatal intention and initial breastfeeding experiences on breast-feeding initiation and duration among 1,665 U.S. women completing questionnaires on infant feeding practices. Outcomes included no initiation of breastfeeding at birth and termination at < 10 weeks, 10 to < 20 weeks, or 20 to < 30 weeks. Predictor variables included intended breast feeding duration and early breast feeding experiences with analyses controlling for demographic characteristics, previous breastfeeding experience, and prenatal intentions to work after delivery. Prenatal intentions to never initiate or to stop breastfeeding early were significant risk factors for all breastfeeding outcomes. Initial breastfeeding experiences were significant risk factors for early termination. This study supports using the intention construct from the theory of reasoned action to predict initiation of behavior but suggests the need to include initial experience when predicting maintenance of behavior.

Key Words: breastfeeding • intentions • experiences

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