Abstract
This study employed the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and additional variables (descriptive norm, moral norm, self-identity) to investigate the factors underlying breastfeeding intention and subsequent breastfeeding at four time points (during hospital stay, at hospital discharge, 10 days postpartum and 6 weeks postpartum) in a sample of women selected from defined areas of economic hardship (N = 248). A model containing the TPB, additional variables and demographic factors provided a good prediction of both intention (R-2 = 0.72; attitude, perceived behavioural control, moral norm and self-identity significant predictors) and behaviour - breastfeeding at birth (88.6% correctly classified; household deprivation, intention, attitude significant), at discharge from hospital (87.3% correctly classified; intention, attitude significant), 10 days after discharge (83.1% correctly classified; education, intention, attitude, descriptive norm significant) and 6 weeks after discharge (78.0% correctly classified; age, household deprivation, ethnicity, moral norm significant). Implications for interventions are discussed, such as the potential usefulness of targeting descriptive norms, moral norms and perceived behavioural control (PBC) when attempting to increase breastfeeding uptake.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 767-788 |
| Number of pages | 22 |
| Journal | Psychology and Health |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Oct 2008 |
Bibliographical note
© 2008 Taylor & Francis Ltd. This is an author produced version of a paper published in Psychology & Health. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self archiving policy.Keywords
- theory of planned behaviour
- breastfeeding
- economic deprivation
- beliefs
- LOW-INCOME WOMEN
- REASONED ACTION
- PERCEIVED CONTROL
- DECISION-MAKING
- PREGNANT-WOMEN
- SELF-IDENTITY
- INTENTION
- ATTITUDES
- MOTHERS
- NORMS