title: College students' experiences and attitudes regarding middle and high school-based breastfeeding education.
abstract: This study examined the attitudes and experiences of male and female college students relative to breastfeeding education within middle and high school programs of study. Findings revealed that 36.7% of the participants were taught about breastfeeding while enrolled in a specific course in high school; 11.3% received information about breastfeeding in middle school. Overall, participants expressed positive attitudes toward breastfeeding and were supportive of the promotion of breastfeeding within a formal educational setting. However, 54% disagreed with offering information about breastfeeding to middle school students. Furthermore, most (67.8%) participants found public breastfeeding to be unacceptable; 77.7% indicated that breastfeeding is an intimate behavior that should be kept private. School nurses are in a unique position to influence school health and science-related curricula designed to promote the health benefits of breastfeeding. More education is needed to teach young people about the advantages of breastfeeding and to make breastfeeding a socially and culturally acceptable lifestyle behavior.
authors: Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA, USA.
authors: Hila J
authors: HJ
authors: Spear
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001942:Breast Feeding; D003479:Curriculum; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012572:School Health Services; D012573:School Nursing; D015144:Southeastern United States