Exploration of the Factors Influencing Attitudes to Breastfeeding in Public.

BACKGROUND: Negative attitudes toward breastfeeding in public have consistently been identified as a key barrier to breastfeeding continuation. In order to design effective social marketing campaigns to improve public attitude toward breastfeeding in public, it is critical to identify segments of the population who are less likely to support this activity, their underlying reasons, and the medium through which they can be reached. RESEARCH AIM: The aims were to (a) identify the underlying dimensions that drive acceptance or opposition to breastfeeding in public, (b) test whether specific population segments were more or less likely to support breastfeeding in public, and (c) identify suitable media outlets to reach them. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey testing agreement with 60 statements was administered online between May 2016 and May 2017 and was completed by 7190 respondents. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify 12 dimensions driving acceptance or opposition to breastfeeding in public. The influence of demographics and media consumption on attitudes toward breastfeeding in public was tested using Welch's t tests and one-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs). RESULTS: Acceptance of breastfeeding in public was found to differ with gender, age, religion, and parental and breastfeeding status, but not household income. Support for breastfeeding in public also varied with media consumption habits. CONCLUSIONS: This work lays the foundation to design effective social marketing campaigns aimed at increasing public support for breastfeeding in public.

UK Views toward Breastfeeding in Public: An Analysis of the Public's Response to the Claridge's Incident.

BACKGROUND: The embarrassment that UK mothers experience when breastfeeding in public has often been cited as a key factor in the decision of the mother to discontinue breastfeeding. There is convincing evidence that many UK residents are not comfortable with women breastfeeding in public; however, little is known about the underlying reasons for this discomfort. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess views on breastfeeding in public in the United Kingdom and to understand why some UK residents object to this practice. METHODS: The comments sections of news media websites and parenting forums were systematically identified and reviewed for statements made in response to an incident widely reported in the British press: a woman was asked to cover up while breastfeeding in public at Claridge's, a London luxury hotel. Of these, 805 comments (73 108 words) met the inclusion criteria and were thematically analyzed. RESULTS: The majority of commenters were supportive of "discreet" breastfeeding in public, but a significant portion felt that breastfeeding in public is always inappropriate. Sexualization of the breast was mainly evoked as something others may experience while viewing a breastfeeding mother, rather than to reflect the commenters' own views. Common justifications cited against breastfeeding in public were onlookers' embarrassment (not knowing where to look) and disgust (at bodily fluids and/or functions). CONCLUSION: Campaigns portraying breastfeeding in public as normal and desirable with a focus on human milk as food rather than a bodily fluid may improve societal acceptance of breastfeeding in public.