Impact of Milk on the Move breastfeeding support campaign on students’ and employees’ attitudes, subjective norms, intention, knowledge, and awareness

Abstract

Objective

To evaluate the impact of a campus-based breastfeeding support campaign grounded in the Theory of Reasoned Action.

Participants

Seventy-eight students and employees.

Methods

An online survey was administered pre- and post-campaign to measure attitudes, subjective norm, normative and behavioral beliefs, intention, knowledge, and awareness. Regression analyses identified the most influential factors for intention to support breastfeeding on campus at both times. Paired sample t-tests compared changes over time.

Results

Attitudes, but not subject norm, had a significant impact on intention to support breastfeeding on campus at both times (p < .01). Subjective norm improved over time (p = .04), whereas changes to attitudes, normative and behavioral beliefs, intention, and knowledge were small and mostly not significant. Participants’ gained awareness that a lactation space is available on campus (p = .034) and that students can be excused from class to pump (p = .005).

Conclusions

Future campus-based efforts should target breastfeeding attitudes, knowledge, and awareness of breastfeeding supports.

Keywords:

• Breastfeeding
• campus lactation support
• college students
• theory of reasoned action
• university

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of Montclair State University.

Funding

No funding was used to support this research and/or the preparation of the manuscript.