Intent to breast-feed: the impact of attitudes, norms, parity, and experience.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the influence of breast-feeding attitudes, social norms, and prior experience on predicting breast-feeding intention utilizing the theories of reasoned action and planned behavior.


METHODS
Low-income pregnant women (n = 963) completed a theory-based questionnaire.


RESULTS
Attitudes were more predictive of breast-feeding intention than were norms, regardless of parity or prior behavior. Among multiparous women, amount of prior breast-feeding experience contributed independently to predicting breast-feeding intention and rendered norms insignificant.


CONCLUSIONS
Results support the theories. Breast-feeding promotions targeting low-income women should emphasize enhancing women's personal breast-feeding attitudes, and, among primiparous women, promoting positive breast-feeding attitudes among their significant others.
Kloeblen-Tarver
Amy S
AS
Department of Nutrition Services, Grady Health System, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA. ASKtarver@aol.com
Thompson
Nancy J
NJ
Miner
Kathleen R
KR
D001294:Attitude to Health; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D005845:Georgia; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D010298:Parity; D011203:Poverty; D011247:Pregnancy; D011336:Probability; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*