Breastfeeding trends, influences, and perceptions among Italian women: a qualitative study

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Breastfeeding behaviours are routinely assessed in worldwide capacities, and the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region has the lowest rates of exclusive breastfeeding. Rates in Italy are not well documented but suggest breastfeeding rates are rising since the early 2000s. Professional recommendations suggest exclusive breastfeeding should persist until the infant is at least six to twelve months of age. However, barriers to adhering to this recommendation exist, often resulting in a lack of initiation or premature cessation of breastfeeding behaviours. This study explored women’s perceptions, attitudes, and experiences with breastfeeding living in Florence, Italy.

Methods: Participants were 44 reproductive-aged (M = 31.7 ± 6.14; Range = 19 to 45 years) women currently utilizing the Italian healthcare system. All participants completed an in-depth, individual interview between June and August 2017 on topics related to reproductive health, including breastfeeding.

Results: Resulting themes relate to breastfeeding trends and influences, the role of identity and empowered choice, as well as perspectives on public breastfeeding.

Conclusions: Findings provide practical recommendations for future exploration and social marketing campaign application related to breastfeeding decision-making empowerment. Results can also be used for between-country comparison of breastfeeding behaviours and attitudes.

KEYWORDS:

• International health
• Women’s Health
• breastfeeding
• social marketing
• motherhood
• social norms

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Florence University of the Arts for their partnership and project support. We would also like to thank members of the Interdisciplinary Women’s Reproductive Health Collaborative at Purdue University who are not co-authors on the project but who provided great support. Publication of this article was funded in part by Purdue University Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund.

Disclosure Statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Data Availability

The datasets used and analyzed for the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Andrea L. DeMaria

Andrea L. DeMaria, PhD, MS, is an assistant professor in the Department of Public Health at Purdue University. Her research has encompassed an interdisciplinary approach to understanding women’s reproductive and sexual health behaviors and issues, including (but not limited to): contraception and family planning dynamics, healthcare access and shared decision making, body image and genital hygiene, and maternal and infant mortality.

Jaziel Ramos-Ortiz

Jaziel Ramos-Ortiz, MS, is a doctoral candidate in the Division of Consumer Science at Purdue University. Her research interest is in consumer behavior and effective marketing, dissemination, and implementation strategy for novel health products and services and translating this research into industry practice.

Kelsie Basile

Kelsie Basile is a nursing student in the School of Nursing at Purdue University. Her interests are in providing holistic treatments to improve community health and foster sustainable treatment journeys.