Facebook support for breastfeeding mothers: A comparison to offline support and associations with breastfeeding outcomes
Objectives For breastfeeding mothers, online support groups through Facebook may be a more convenient and preferred source for accessing breastfeeding information and support, but few studies exist that examine the use of Facebook groups specifically for breastfeeding support. This study explores th...
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Published in | Digital health Vol. 5; p. 2055207619853397 |
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Main Authors | , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
London, England
SAGE Publications
01.06.2019
Sage Publications Ltd SAGE Publishing |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Objectives
For breastfeeding mothers, online support groups through Facebook may be a more convenient and preferred source for accessing breastfeeding information and support, but few studies exist that examine the use of Facebook groups specifically for breastfeeding support. This study explores the sources of support among users of Facebook breastfeeding support groups and a possible mechanism by which support received on Facebook may translate to behavioral outcomes among breastfeeding mothers.
Methods
From July–September 2017 a survey was distributed online to African American mothers (N = 277) who participate in breastfeeding support groups on Facebook. The survey assessed network support from Facebook and other sources of breastfeeding support, perceived breastfeeding norms, breastfeeding self-efficacy and breastfeeding attitudes. Correlations and linear regression analysis were used to examine the relationship between covariates and outcome variables.
Results
The average intended breastfeeding duration among participants in this study was 19 months. Participants reported the highest amount of breastfeeding support received from their Facebook support group, in comparison to other sources of support, and Facebook support was significantly correlated with intended breastfeeding duration (p < 0.05). Self-efficacy and breastfeeding attitudes remained significant predictors of intended breastfeeding duration within the final regression model.
Conclusions
Breastfeeding support received within Facebook groups may compensate for inadequate support received within mothers’ networks. More research is needed to understand the mechanism through which Facebook support may contribute to prolonged breastfeeding durations. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 2055-2076 2055-2076 |
DOI: | 10.1177/2055207619853397 |