An initial quantitative study of the relationship between attitudes to menstruation and breastfeeding

Abstract

Objective: This study took a feminist psychology perspective, postulating that attitudes to breastfeeding can be understood in terms of broader attitudes towards the female body. It was a first test of the hypothesis that breastfeeding attitudes and behaviour would be related to attitudes to menstruation. Study design: Correlational questionnaire study with a British general population sample of 457 respondents (75% response rate) aged from 16 to 68 (mean = 30). Questionnaires included the Menstrual Attitudes Questionnaire, positive attitudes to breast and to bottlefeeding, and reactions to breastfeeding scenarios, along with questions on demographics and past breastfeeding behaviour. Results: The results showed weak but significant relationships between some menstrual attitudes and attitudes to breastfeeding, and with past breastfeeding behaviour. Conclusions: Feminist theory about the negative construction of the female body suggests that broader social attitudes may undermine women's belief in their ability to nourish their infant from their own body, and these results are consistent with this hypothesis. Such attitudes may need to be addressed if breastfeeding is to become more prevalent.

Keywords:

• attitudes
• breastfeeding
• menstruation