Breast-feeding as cultural or personal decision: sources of information and actual succes in Japan and the United States

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Abstract
Summary: The impact of sources of information about breast-feeding used by Japanese and American primiparous women during pregnancy is examined in relation to subsequent maternal behaviour and success in breast-feeding infants during the 1st week, 1st month, and 3rd month after birth. Culture differences were found in the sources of information used. Japanese mothers used more sources reflecting a formal, impersonal, group-oriented ‘learning context’, while American mothers used a greater variety of sources, reflecting both an informal, private, personalized approach and a formal approach. Hospital classes taught by nurses were significantly negatively correlated with success in breast-feeding in both cultures (r = −0.78,P< 0·01). Private consultations with health professionals and reading materials (books, magazines, pamphlets) were found to have little or no correlation with success in breast-feeding. The findings indicate that present sources of information on breast-feeding are not achieving the desired result—assisting women in learning to breast-feed their infants successfully. Sources of information need to be re-evaluated in terms of content, tenor, and the culture learning context in which information is being disseminated.