Yes / Breastfeeding is important to infant health and survival in sub-Saharan Africa. To promote breastfeeding effectively, understanding of psychological factors associated with infant feeding choices is required. This study investigated
breastfeeding attitudes and health locus of control (HLoC) in a Nigerian community sample.
Men and women (N=400) (71% female; mean age 34.2 years/ range 18–86 years) were recruited through community groups in Nigeria. Self-report survey by questionnaire measured breastfeeding attitudes using the Iowa Infant Feeding
Attitude Scale (IIFAS) and health locus of control using the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (MHLoCs).
IIFAS scores (mean=57.7; sd=7.8) became less favourable with increasing age (p=0.02). Men had higher
IIFAS scores (mean=58.6; sd=7.6) than women (mean=56.6; sd=8.0) indicating more favourable attitudes toward breastfeeding (p=0.02). Women scored higher than men on external chance HLoC (ECHLoC) (p=0.003) and external powerful
others HLoC (EPHLoC) (p=0.02). Increasing age was associated with higher scores on ECHLoC (p<0.01) and EPHLoC
(p<0.01). Multiple linear regression analysis was significant (p<0.001) and explained 7.8% of variance in breastfeeding
attitude. Lower IIFAS scores, reflecting more negative attitudes to breastfeeding, were associated with higher ECHLoC
(p<0.01) and EPOHLoC (p<0.05). Higher IIFAS scores, reflecting more positive attitudes to breastfeeding, were associated
with greater IHLoC (p<0.01). Neither age nor gender were associated with IIFAS scores in the final model.
This implies a need to explore health locus of control when promoting positive attitudes to breastfeeding and
supporting families in breastfeeding advocacy.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BRADFORD/oai:bradscholars.brad.ac.uk:10454/19452 |
| Date | 16 May 2023 |
| Creators | Adegbayi, A., Scally, A., Lesk, Valerie E., Stewart-Knox, Barbara |
| Publisher | Springer |
| Source Sets | Bradford Scholars |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Article, Published version |
| Rights | (c) 2023 The Authors. This is an Open Access article distributed under the Creative Commons CC-BY license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)., CC-BY |
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