Mothers' Breast Milk Expression Experiences, Infant Feeding Attitudes and Perceived Social Support Levels

Mothers' Breast Milk Expression Experiences, Infant Feeding Attitudes and Perceived Social Support Levels in the Early Postpartum Period: A Cross-sectional Study in Turkish Population

Background: Expressing breast milk in cases where breastfeeding is interrupted is important for infants to be fed breast milk however, many factors can affect mothers' breastfeeding experience, such as feeding attitudes and the level of social support. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship mothers' breast milk expression experience between infant feeding attitudes and perceived social support level.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in the postpartum and lactation unit of a city hospital in Istanbul, between September-November 2022. The study included 455 women who were volunteering to participate in the research, 18 years of age or older, in the 0-6 months postpartum period, having a living baby, continuing to breastfeed, and expressing breast milk at least once after birth. Data were collected with Mother-Baby Introductory Information Form, Breast Milk Expression Experience Measure (BMEE), Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS), and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). The data were analyzed using the SPSS-21 statistical software package.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Which characteristics affect mothers' breast milk expression experiences, infant feeding attitudes, and perceived social support levels in the early postpartum period?
• Is there a relationship between mothers' experiences of breast milk expression and their infant feeding attitudes and social support levels in the early postpartum period?

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Feeding Behavior; Breastfeeding; Breast Milk Expression; Support, Family
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Questionnaire application

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 455

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey
  • Istanbul, Turkey, 34060
    • Haliç University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The research population consisted of women who were admitted to the postpartum and lactation units of a city hospital in Istanbul affiliated with the Turkish Ministry of Health. A power analysis was performed to determine the number of people to be included in the study.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Volunteer to participate in the research
• 18 years of age or older
• In the 0-6 month postpartum period
• Must have a living baby
• Must continue breastfeeding
• Must express breast milk at least once after birth

Exclusion Criteria:

• Feeding the infant formula only
• Having hearing and/or speech impairments

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Mother-Baby Introductory Information Form	The form prepared by the researchers consists of 25 questions containing information about the mother, the infant, and the nutrition characteristics.	September 1st - November 30th 2022
Breast Milk Expression Experience Measure (BMEE)	The BMEE, which was developed to determine the breast milk expression experience of mothers, consists of 11 items. The BMEE is a five-point Likert type, ranging from one (strongly disagree) to five (strongly agree). It has three sub-dimensions: social support, learning experience, and personal experience. When the mean of the total items' score is less than three, the breast milk expression experience of the mothers is evaluated as negative.	September 1st - November 30th 2022
Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS)	The scale was designed to evaluate women's attitudes towards breastfeeding and predict the duration of breastfeeding as well as the choice of infant feeding method. IIFAS consists of 17 items and is a five-point Likert type (one-strongly disagree to five-strongly agree). While nine items of the IIFAS contain positive attitudes about breastfeeding, the other eight items contain positive attitudes about formula feeding. The total IIFAS score can range from 17 to 85, with higher scores reflecting a positive attitude towards breastfeeding. Total IIFAS scores can be categorized into three groups: positive to breastfeeding (IIFAS score 70-85), neutral (IIFAS score 49-69), and positive to formula feeding (IIFAS score 17-48).	September 1st - November 30th 2022
Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS)	MSPSS subjectively assesses the adequacy of social support from three different sources (family, friends, and a significant other), consists of 12 items, and is a seven-point Likert type (one-very strongly disagree to seven-very strongly agree). The lowest score to be obtained from MSPSS is 12, and the highest score is 84. The higher the total score, the higher the perceived social support.	September 1st - November 30th 2022

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Halic University
• Collaborators: Basaksehir Cam & Sakura Şehir Hospital; Istanbul Arel University; Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa (IUC)

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 1, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 30, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): January 5, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 31, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 11, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): August 15, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 15, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 11, 2023
• Last Verified: August 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 1 (Mobile Health and Wellness Program)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No