Counseling and Motivational Videotapes Increase Duration of Breast-feeding in African-American WIC Participants Who Initiate Breast-feeding

Citation

Gross, Susan M.; Caulfield, Laura E.; Bentley, Margaret E.; Bronner, Yvonne L.; Kessler, Lisa A.; Jensen, Joan L.; & Paige, David M. (1998). Counseling and Motivational Videotapes Increase Duration of Breast-feeding in African-American WIC Participants Who Initiate Breast-feeding. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 98(2), 143-148.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the relative effects introducing motivational videotapes and/or peer counseling in Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinics serving African-American women have on breast-feeding duration.
Design: Experimental intervention study. Pregnant women were enrolled at or before 24 weeks gestation and were followed up until postpartum week 16. Women were interviewed at enrollment, 7 to 10 days, 8 weeks, and 16 weeks postpartum. SUNJECTS/SETTING: One hundred fifteen African-American WIC participants who initiated breast-feeding and who had been enrolled in 1 of 4 clinics.
Intervention: Two-by-two factorial design, in which 4 clinics were randomly assigned to receive either no intervention, a motivational video package intervention, a peer-counseling intervention, or both interventions.
Main outcome measures: Breast-feeding duration in weeks and relative risk ratios for breast-feeding cessation before 16 weeks postpartum.
Statistical analysis performed: Contingency table analysis, including chi2 tests and log-rank tests; multivariate analysis using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis.
Results: A higher proportion of women were breast-feeding at 8 and 16 weeks postpartum in the intervention clinics than in the control clinic. The proportion of women reporting breast-feeding declined at 8 and 16 weeks postpartum, but the rate of decline was slower in the 3 intervention clinics than in the control clinic. Being younger than 19 years of age or older than 25 years of age, having a male infant, and returning to work or school all negatively affected breastfeeding duration, whereas previous breast-feeding experience positively influenced breast-feeding duration.
Applications/conclusions: WIC-based peer counselor support and motivational videos can positively affect the duration of breast-feeding among African-American women. WIC nutritionists and other health professionals in contact with this population should expand their efforts toward promoting increased duration of breast-feeding.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0002-8223(98)00037-6

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

1998

Journal Title

Journal of the American Dietetic Association

Author(s)

Gross, Susan M.
Caulfield, Laura E.
Bentley, Margaret E.
Bronner, Yvonne L.
Kessler, Lisa A.
Jensen, Joan L.
Paige, David M.

ORCiD

Bentley - 0000-0002-1220-0208