Abstract

This was a descriptive study of 37 recently migrated to the United States, Spanish-speaking, Mexican-American women. Attitudes and support systems associated with their choice to breast or bottle feed their infants were studied. The purpose of this research was to answer the following questions:

1. What are the differences in the attitudes of Mexican- American primiparas who choose to breast feed and those who choose to bottle feed?

2. What are the differences in the practice, recommendations, and proximity of location of significant members of the women's support systems?

Twenty-one breast feeders and 16 bottle feeders were interviewed in Spanish with a three-part, oral, structured interview. Statistical analysis of the data included Chi square and t-tests. The level of significance was preset at α = .05.

The two groups were comparable in age range, education of patient and husband, socioeconomic status, attendance at prenatal classes, origin, and length of time of the women in the United States. Husbands of women choosing bottle feeding had lived in the United States longer than the husbands of women choosing breast feeding (p = .05), and a significantly greater number of the women choosing bottle feeding planned to return to work (p = .01).

There was a significant difference in the two groups in their attitudes about lifestyles (p = .001), the infant (p = .02), and the woman herself (p = .001), as well as in the total score of the maternal attitudes (p < .001). Through item analysis, approximately 25 percent of the attitudes were found to be statistically correlated with the choice of infant feeding.

There was no statistical difference in the practice, recommendations and proximity of the individual members of the support systems of the two groups, with the exception of the mother-in-law, who was more likely to live in closer proximity to those breast feeding (p = .05). There was a significant difference, however, in the total practice (p = .005) and the total recommendations (p < .01) of the individual members combined.

The first hypothesis, there will be no significant statistical difference (α = .05) in the attitudes of Mexican-American women who choose to breast feed and those who choose to bottle feed, was rejected. The second hypothesis, there will be no significant statistical difference (α = .05) in the practice, recommendations, and location of significant members of the women's support system who choose to breast feed and those who choose to bottle feed, was accepted. With the exception of the difference found in the proximity of the mother-in-law (p = .05), there were no statistical differences between the two groups.

In this study attitudes were found to be significantly correlated with a woman's choice of infant feeding. The findings supported the belief that infant feeding must be compatible with a woman's lifestyle.

Many women perceived work as incompatible with breast feeding. This study indicated that those women who saw breast feeding as being related to improved health were more likely to breast feed. Conversely, those associating breast feeding to fatigue and loss of weight were more likely to choose bottle feeding.

Further research about the relationship of attitudes and support systems to the choice of infant feeding is recommended.

LLU Discipline

Nursing

Department

Nursing

School

Graduate School

First Advisor

Clarice W. Woodward

Second Advisor

Betty T. Lonnstrom

Third Advisor

Mary J. Waldron

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Level

M.S.

Year Degree Awarded

1981

Date (Title Page)

5-1981

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Infant Nutrition; Breast Feeding; Hispanic Americans

Type

Thesis

Page Count

ix; 103

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

Download

Share

COinS