Abstract

Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months is recommended by major health organizations to promote the health of infants and mothers. Exclusive breastfeeding rates of Latinas at six months, however, are lower than those of White mothers, although Latinas initiate breastfeeding at a higher rate than do non-Latinas.

The primary aim of this descriptive, interpretative study was to explore first-time breast-feeding Latina mothers' met and unmet information needs, information-seeking behavior, communication processes, and resources used related to breast-feeding initiation, adherence, and weaning. The secondary aim examined these concepts from the perspective of clinicians. A convenience sample of 28 Latina mothers and 12 clinicians was recruited from the Ambulatory Care Network in the Washington Heights area of New York City. Data were collected through focus groups with mothers and in-depth clinician interviews as well as brief sociodemographic surveys. Thematic analysis was iterative and systematic.

Description

This dissertation has also been disseminated through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. Dissertation/thesis number: 3305270; ProQuest document ID: 304624180. The author still retains copyright.

Author Details

Maryelena Vargas, PhD, FNP-BC, RN, IBCLC

Sigma Membership

Epsilon Rho

Type

Dissertation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Descriptive/Correlational

Research Approach

Qualitative Research

Keywords:

Breastfeeding, Latina Mothers, Information Seeking Behavior

Advisor

Suzanne Bakken

Second Advisor

Olveen Carrasquillo

Degree

PhD

Degree Grantor

Columbia University

Degree Year

2008

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Date of Issue

2023-10-03

Full Text of Presentation

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