Factors include intention to breastfeed, belief in breast milk’s nutritional sufficiency, body image
FRIDAY, April 6, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Five psychological factors are associated with breastfeeding behaviors among women with a body mass index ≥30 kg/m², according to a review published online March 24 in Obesity Reviews.
Stephanie Lyons, from the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, and colleagues examined the correlation between any psychological factor and breastfeeding behavior among women with a body mass index of ≥30 kg/m². Twenty eligible papers were identified and included in the analysis.
The researchers identified 16 psychological factors in the papers. Five factors correlated with breastfeeding behaviors: intentions to breastfeed; belief in the nutritional adequacy and sufficiency of breast milk; belief about others’ infant feeding preferences; body image; and social knowledge. Current care should encourage women to plan to breastfeed, provide corrective information for specific beliefs, and address issues relating to body image and social knowledge.
“Recommendations for future research include further exploration of several psychological factors (i.e., expecting that breastfeeding will enhance weight loss, depression, anxiety, and stress) and evidence and theory-based intervention development,” the authors write.
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