Toward a clinically useful method of predicting early breast-feeding attrition.
OBJECTIVE
The overall purpose of this study was to revise and test an instrument to identify, during the early postpartum period, women at risk for early breast-feeding attrition. This study was completed in two phases: the first phase tested a revision of the Breast-Feeding Attrition Prediction Tool (BAPT); the second, a new instrument, the Breast-Feeding Attitude Scale (BrAS), which was adapted from the BAPT.


METHODS
The two phases of this study involved 415 pregnant and postpartum women. Women answered questions either by phone (pregnant women) or in their hospital rooms after delivery (postpartum women). Data were analyzed using t tests and reliability analysis.


RESULTS
The BAPT did not predict early breast-feeding attrition; however, the BrAS did differentiate between the attitudes of breast-feeding women and those of formula-feeding women and had adequate reliability.


CONCLUSIONS
Women at risk for early breast-feeding attrition should be identified early so nursing interventions can be directed toward preventing early unintended weaning. Although the BrAS did not reliably identify women at risk in this sample, it did highlight important differences between breast-feeding and formula-feeding women that can be used in designing preconceptional or prenatal educational assessments and interventions.
Lewallen
Lynne Porter
LP
Department of Parent Child Nursing, School of Nursing, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402-6170, USA. lplewall@uncg.edu
Dick
Margaret J
MJ
Wall
Yolanda
Y
Zickefoose
Kimberly Taylor
KT
Hannah
Susan Hensley
SH
Flowers
Janet
J
Powell
Wanda
W
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001903:Bottle Feeding / Q000523:psychology; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D009341:Negativism; D009657:North Carolina; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D013997:Time Factors