title: Engaging Inner-City Fathers in Breastfeeding Support.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our objective was to pilot a method of engaging fathers/partners of high-risk inner-city mothers in breastfeeding support.
  
  
  METHODS
  Breast for Success was a breastfeeding promotion initiative with a father engagement component. In collaboration with Community Endeavors, Inc., we organized father-friendly evening programs (one night per week for 3 weeks, repeating quarterly) led by a male facilitator to provide breastfeeding education, with ongoing availability of a resource specialist to link men to community resources relevant to their legal, financial, and health needs. Fathers/partners were recruited from community programs and via our community partner, The City of Cleveland Department of Public Health MomsFirst™ Project, a federally funded Healthy Start program. University Hospitals Case Medical Center Institutional Review Board approved the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-six fathers/partners attended eight evening programs, and 30 (45%) attended all three nights. Their median age was 27.5 years (range, 17-64 years), and 49 (74%) self-described themselves as African American. At the start of the groups, 39% (21/54 responding) had a breastfed child, and 64% (39/61 responding) said they were comfortable with breastfeeding for their own child. After Sessions 1, 2, and 3, respectively, 40 (85%), 42 (89%), and 33 (80%) were "more likely" to want their next baby to breastfeed. On average, in 62% of all responses (278/450 possible), men endorsed learning "a lot more" about the 10 breastfeeding curriculum topics presented.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recruitment of inner-city fathers/partners for a breastfeeding education program was feasible, and among men who attended, fathers' perceptions about their breastfeeding knowledge were positively impacted.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Pediatrics, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital , Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Lydia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Furman
authors.affiliation: 2 Community Endeavors Foundation, Inc. , Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Killpack
authors.affiliation: 3 Cleveland Department of Public Health MomsFirst™ Program , Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.affiliation: 3 Cleveland Department of Public Health MomsFirst™ Program , Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Pediatrics, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital , Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Mary Ann
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: O'Riordan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D037001:Directive Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009820:Ohio; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011181:Postnatal Care / Q000523:psychology*; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012944:Social Support; D014505:Urban Population