Mentor/s
Amanda Moras and Bronwyn Cross-Denny
Participation Type
Poster
Abstract
The medically supported benefits of breastfeeding for mothers and their children include, but are not limited to : decreasing the risk of pneumonia, diarrhea, and type-II diabetes, acting as a method of hormonal birth control, and decreasing the incidence of post-partum depression (World Health Organization, 2015). According to the World Health Organization (2015), breastfeeding is also the most economically secure way to ensure proper nutrition for an infant. However, cultural norms of the United States, as evidenced in the media and public opinion, exploit and sexualize the bodies of women. Many families, therefore, are hesitant to breastfeed for fear of judgement, or refuse to breastfeed as a result of internalized oppression (Woods, Chesser, & Wipperman, 2013). Research shows that most women make decisions about parenthood and breastfeeding long before they choose to have children (Ho & McGrath, 2016). The teenage years are those in which individuals form their identity and do so largely in the context of their social environment (Erikson, 1993). Furthermore, studies suggest that social supports are a major contributing factor to breastfeeding attitudes and intentions (Seidel et al., 2013). Therefore, this research proposal presents a format of evidence based education to target the adolescent population to address this issue of not only public and women’s health, but women’s rights.
College and Major available
Social Work
Location
University Commons
Start Day/Time
4-21-2017 1:00 PM
End Day/Time
4-21-2017 3:00 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License.
The Impact of Breastfeeding Education on Attitudes Toward Breastfeeding in Adolescents Attending Public Urban, Suburban, and Rural High Schools
University Commons
The medically supported benefits of breastfeeding for mothers and their children include, but are not limited to : decreasing the risk of pneumonia, diarrhea, and type-II diabetes, acting as a method of hormonal birth control, and decreasing the incidence of post-partum depression (World Health Organization, 2015). According to the World Health Organization (2015), breastfeeding is also the most economically secure way to ensure proper nutrition for an infant. However, cultural norms of the United States, as evidenced in the media and public opinion, exploit and sexualize the bodies of women. Many families, therefore, are hesitant to breastfeed for fear of judgement, or refuse to breastfeed as a result of internalized oppression (Woods, Chesser, & Wipperman, 2013). Research shows that most women make decisions about parenthood and breastfeeding long before they choose to have children (Ho & McGrath, 2016). The teenage years are those in which individuals form their identity and do so largely in the context of their social environment (Erikson, 1993). Furthermore, studies suggest that social supports are a major contributing factor to breastfeeding attitudes and intentions (Seidel et al., 2013). Therefore, this research proposal presents a format of evidence based education to target the adolescent population to address this issue of not only public and women’s health, but women’s rights.
