• Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.208-245
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• 2017

Background: Attitudes toward breastfeeding in public are one potential barrier to optimal breastfeeding rates and durations. Method: Questions about breastfeeding experience and attitudes toward breastfeeding in public were asked in face-to-face interviews as part of the Korean Academic Multimode Open Survey (KAMOS), May-July, 2017. The response rate was 65.8% (2000 respondents nationwide). Results: A majority of Koreans disagreed (1 or 2 on a 4-point scale) with the statement "Women should not breastfeed their child in open, public places" (53.9%) and agreed (3 or 4 on the 4-part Likert scale) with the statements "I do not feel uncomfortable seeing women breastfeed their child in open, public places" (64.0%) and "Breastfeeding a baby, instead of letting the baby cry, in public places is better for other people" (71.8%). However, despite these generally positive attitudes, the majority also said that they would not breastfeed in public (57.4% of women) or, in the case of men, would not want a close female relative to do so (63.8% of men). Breastfeeding in public was positively correlated with the duration of breastfeeding. People were more positive about breastfeeding in public if they: were parents; did not use formula and breastfeeding a similar amount; had children who had been breastfed in public; were older; were Buddhists rather than Christians. An attempt was made to compare attitudes toward breastfeeding in public and breastfeeding durations internationally, but was inconclusive due to not perfectly comparable data. Conclusion: Our results may be useful in planning public health campaigns in South Korea or future attempts at international comparisons to better understand and address the effect of public opinion regarding breastfeeding in public on breastfeeding rates and durations.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.457-466
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• 2013

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of breastfeeding education experience on knowledge, control beliefs, and future intention toward breastfeeding to consider the needs of breastfeeding education program of university students. The breastfeeding knowledge, control beliefs and related habits of 445 male and female college students were evaluated between September 1, 2011 to April 30, 2012. Data were collected from self-administered questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS for Window V.17.0. ${\chi}^2$-test, t-test and ANOVA were used for the calculation of differences between groups. The percentage of students who intended to breastfeed their baby was 80.7% (male: 73.6%, female: 84.2%). Only 21.6% of students experienced breastfeeding education. Students planned to get information related to breastfeeding from their mothers (32.4%), breastfeeding experts (23.8%) and Medical doctors & nurses (10.6%). breastfeeding education group showed higher knowledge level (14.46 vs 10.56) and control beliefs (3.48 vs 3.16) to breastfeeding than non-education group (p < 0.001). General attitude toward breastfeeding was similar between groups; the specific intention to breastfeed for 6 months was higher in the education group (83.3% vs 58.2%) (p < 0.01). Percentage of students who gave correct answers to knowledge questions related to breastfeeding was also higher in the breastfeeding education group than non-education group (72.3% vs 52.8%). Among 20 questions, only 2 questions showed no significant differences between the groups. These findings suggested that breastfeeding education was effective in encouraging or improving breastfeeding practices.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.179-188
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• 2003

Purpose: The purpose of this study was examine levels of breastfeeding knowledge, attitude and number of breastfeeding problems in early postpartum period and rate of breastfeeding practice at 3 months. Method: The total numbers of the study subjects were 139 mothers at postpartum unit and followed by postpartum 1 week and 3 months. Result: 1. The mean score of knowledge and attitude and problems toward breast feeding scale were 22.83(SD=5.19), 20.99(SD=3.40), and 9.04(SD=3.59) respectively, indicating low to moderate level according to subjects characteristics, breastfeeding knowledge scores were significantly different by age (F=8.00, p<.001), breastfeeding experience (t=3.26, p<.001) and parity(t=2.39, p<.05), but no difference were found in rate of breastfeeding attitude and number of problems. 2. Rate of breastfeeding practice was 46.5% at three months of postpartum and the breastfeeding practice was significantly different by breastfeeding plan period($x^2$=13.33, p<.001) and monthly income ($x^2$= 3.80, p<.05). 3. Further, breastfeeding practice at 3 months was continuously influenced by number of problems of the breast-feeding(OR=.85) and breastfeeding plan period(OR=2.11) at early postpartum period. Conclusion: The findings suggest the necessity of maternal support during postpartum period to provide correct information about rate of breastfeeding knowledge and attitude to teach problem solving skills for any breastfeeding problems in order to increase rate of breastfeeding practice.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.326-335
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• 2020

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the construct validity, reliability, measurement invariance, and latent mean differences in the Breastfeeding Adaptation Scale-Short Form (BFAS-SF) for use with mothers at 2 weeks postpartum. Methods: This methodological study was designed to evaluate the validity, reliability, and measurement invariance of the BFAS-SF at 2 weeks postpartum, with data collected from 431 breastfeeding mothers. Confirmatory factor analysis and multi-group confirmatory factor analysis were conducted to assess the factor structure and the measurement invariance across employment status, delivery mode, parity, and previous breastfeeding experience, and the latent mean differences were then examined. Results: The goodness of fit of the six-factor model at 2 weeks postpartum was acceptable. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis supported strict invariance of the BFAS-SF across employment status and delivery mode. Full configural invariance, full metric invariance, and partial scalar invariance across parity and full configural invariance and full metric invariance across previous breastfeeding experience were supported, respectively. The results for latent mean differences suggested that mothers who were employed showed significantly higher scores for breastfeeding confidence. Mothers who had a vaginal delivery showed significantly higher scores for sufficient breast milk and baby's feeding capability. Multiparous mothers showed significantly higher scores for baby's feeding capability and baby's satisfaction with breastfeeding. Conclusion: The validity and reliability of the BFAS-SF at 2 weeks postpartum are acceptable. It can be used to compare mean scores of breastfeeding adaptation according to employment status, delivery mode, and parity.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 2023

Objective: There is a growing interest in the safe use of medications in pregnant and breastfeeding women. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to find ways to improve education about safe medication use by investigating the status of medication use of pregnant and breastfeeding women, and by evaluating their knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward safe medication use. Methods: In this study, a self-report questionnaire was conducted on pregnant or breastfeeding women in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. The questionnaire consisted of the following four sections; 1) sociodemographic characteristics of participants, 2) experience of medication use, 3) experience of being educated on safe medication use, and 4) knowledge, attitudes, and practices about medication use during pregnancy/breastfeeding. Results: A total of 203 participants were included in the analysis. Of these, 38.4% reported to take prescription medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Regarding education on safe medication use, nearly 90% of the participants answered that they were not educated or were unsure whether they had it. In the knowledge-attitude-practice evaluation on safe medication use, the knowledge level was the highest (mean, 4.45), followed by the attitude level (mean, 3.58) and the practice level (mean, 3.33). The preferred education method of the participants was online education using a computer or mobile phone application, etc. Conclusions: This study suggests that there is a need for systematic and effective education that can link knowledge of safe medication use with attitudes and practices in pregnant and breastfeeding women.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.419-432
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to investigate preferences and satisfaction levels in maternity and nursing brassiere. A questionnaire was conducted on 302 women from their 20s to 40s who had breastfeeding experience. The questionnaire included questions on participant demographics, purchase behavior, and design preference and satisfaction levels. The majority(98.0%) of the participants had had experience using maternity/nursing brassieres. More than 90% of the participants agreed with the need for maternity/nursing brassieres distinct from regular ones. Shopping online was the most common means of purchasing them. The most and second-most owned fastener types were the detachable shoulder belt type and inside-cup type, respectively. The most selected reason for purchasing or wearing a maternity/nursing brassiere was the convenience of donning and doffing the brassiere during breastfeeding. Participants had lower satisfaction levels with how well maternity/nursing brassieres support and center the breasts, and with the variety of designs available on the market. Respondents indicated that fasteners for breastfeeding should be developed to provide comfort and convenience for breastfeeding. Wearing comfort was reported as the most important factor in purchasing selection, both during the pregnancy and breastfeeding periods. No-wire, back closure, full-cup, U-shape wing, and skin color were the most preferred design styles.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.331-339
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• 2001

This study was conducted to examine the predicting factors for the intention of breastfeeding with The Theory of Planned Behavior. The questionnaires were distributed to 131 primigravidas who were in their third trimester of pregnancy in Seoul, Kyonggido, Kyongsangbukdo, and Kyongsnagnamdo. Descriptive statistics, Pearsons Correlation and Multiple Regression were used to analyse the data. The subjects showed strong intention of breastfeeding. The subjects showed favorable attitudes toward breastfeeding. This fact showed significant correlation with the belief that their breastfeeding intention was due to the advantage of breast milk for the infant with regard to allergy prevention, disease protection, contribution to intellectual development, psychological closeness between mother and infant, convenience, cost, and the reduction of breast cancer risk and weight of the mother. No item of outcome evaluation did showed significant correlation with behavioral intension. The subjects were influenced about breastfeeding by their referents such as siblings and friends with breastfeeding experience, their mothers and husbands, and mothers-in-law. Most items of the control beliefs had a significant influence on the intention of breastfeeding. The subjects felt they could not control the situation ie. "when I have to breastfeed in public". However they felt they could control the situation ie. "when I suffer from mastitis", "when I have to cut down on coffee, alcohol, and smoking", "when I have Caesarean section", "when I need to maintain breast condition", and "when the infant hates to suck my nipple". Regression analysis revealed that control beliefs and attitudes toward breastfeeding could predict the behavioral intention of breastfeeding. Control beliefs were the most important factor in predicting behavioral intention. Therefore, nutrition education is needed to enhance the ability to cope with difficult situations while breastfeeding and increase faborable attitudes toward breastfeeding.eding and increase faborable attitudes toward breastfeeding.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.523-535
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• 2012

This study was conducted to investigate and improve experiences regarding breastfeeding education. Questionnaires were distributed to 185 women with children 24 months of age and younger. The period of breastfeeding was about 7.2 months and showed significant differences (p<0.01) according to women's age. About 56% of the respondents participated in breastfeeding education. Women with 3 or more children showed the highest rates of participation compared to the women in other groups(p<0.05). The reason for nonparticipation showed significant differences (p<0.05) according to women's occupation. The biggest reason for nonparticipation was 'lack of time' for housewives and 'no information' for working women. The subjects of education were benefits(20%) and techniques(19%) of breastfeeding, breast care before and after delivery(15%), nutrition care for breastfeeding mothers(11%), etc. The teaching method used most frequently was lecturing(32%). Around 81% of women were not satisfied with their breastfeeding education. The most useful subject was breastfeeding techniques(59%). Thirty percent of women pointed out that 'assessing mother's milk quantity' was the subject which women wanted to learn but were not taught enough about. Around 76% of women wanted more education and preferred personalized education such as home visitation(35%) and personal counselling(27%). Desired education methods showed significant differences(p<0.05) according to women's occupations. 'Home visitation' was the most preferred method for housewives and 'personal counselling' for working women. These results showed breastfeeding education was not helpful for practical life. Therefore, breastfeeding education should reflect women's individual needs to heighten its effectiveness.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.63-72
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to identify the amount of calcium intake during late pregnancy and breastfeeding and compare the differences in the amount of calcium by subjects' characteristics. Methods: With a descriptive survey design, 121 Korean breastfeeding women were recruited in a community setting. The list of foods and drinks with calcium extracted from the study of Song and So (2007) was used to measure the amount of calcium intake during pregnancy and lactation. The subjects' characteristics were collected to identify differences in the amount of calcium intake. Results: Mean age of the women was 31 years old. Amount of calcium intake was 568mg per day during late pregnancy and 431mg per day during breastfeeding. These amounts were quite lower than a recommended dose that adult women should consume a daily minimum of 1,000mg of calcium. Women who had higher household income and attending experience for nutritional education took more calcium during breastfeeding and late pregnancy, respectively. Conclusion: More than a half of the breast-feeding women do not consume the recommended dose of calcium. Education for proper calcium consumption during pregnancy and lactation should be an additional subject in the prenatal and breastfeeding education program for women's bone health.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.401-410
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• 2017

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of childbirth, breastfeeding, and their interaction with breast cancer (BC) risk reduction, and to evaluate the heterogeneity in the BC risk reduction effects of these factors by menopause, hormone receptor (HR) status, and pathological subtype. Methods: BC patients aged 40+ from the Korean Breast Cancer Registry in 2004-2012 and controls from the Health Examinee cohort participants were included in this study after 1:1 matching (12 889 pairs) by age and enrollment year. BC risk according to childbirth, breast-feeding, and their interaction was calculated in logistic regression models using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: BC risk decreased with childbirth (3+ childbirths relative to 1 childbirth: OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.78 and OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.68 to 0.95 in postmenopausal and premenopausal women, respectively); and the degree of risk reduction by the number of children was heterogeneous according to menopausal status (p-heterogeneity=0.04), HR status (p-heterogeneity<0.001), and pathological subtype (p-heterogeneity<0.001); whereas breastfeeding for 1-12 months showed a heterogeneous association with BC risk according to menopausal status, with risk reduction only in premenopausal women (p-heterogeneity<0.05). The combination of 2 more childbirths and breastfeeding for ${\geq}13$ months had a much stronger BC risk reduction of 49% (OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.45 to 0.58). Conclusions: This study suggests that the combination of longer breastfeeding and more childbirths reduces BC risk more strongly, and that women who experience both 2 or more childbirths and breastfeed for ${\geq}13$ months can reduce their BC risk by about 50%.