Assessing Breastfeeding Attitudes and Self-Efficacy Among Health care Personnel and Women With Multiple Sclerosis: Two Cross-Sectional Surveys

Solange M Saxby; Carlyn Haas; Anna Klein; Tyler J Titcomb; Farnoosh Shemirani; Terry Wahls; Linda Snetselaar; Christine Gill; Pamela Mulder

doi:10.1002/brb3.70468

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Assessing Breastfeeding Attitudes and Self-Efficacy Among Health care Personnel and Women With Multiple Sclerosis: Two Cross-Sectional Surveys

Journal article

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Assessing Breastfeeding Attitudes and Self-Efficacy Among Health care Personnel and Women With Multiple Sclerosis: Two Cross-Sectional Surveys

Solange M Saxby, Carlyn Haas, Anna Klein, Tyler J Titcomb, Farnoosh Shemirani, Terry Wahls, Linda Snetselaar, Christine Gill and Pamela Mulder

Brain and behavior, Vol.15(4), e70468

04/2025

DOI: 10.1002/brb3.70468

PMCID: PMC12007018

PMID: 40249074

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Abstract

This study aimed to describe breastfeeding attitudes among health care personnel, as well as breastfeeding attitudes and self-efficacy in women with multiple sclerosis (MS), who are currently or have previously breastfed. Two cross-sectional surveys were sent electronically to health care personnel at a single center to capture attitudes toward breastfeeding in women with MS using the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitudes Scale (IIFAS), and women with MS who were currently or had previously breastfed to measure breastfeeding attitudes and self-efficacy using the IIFAS and Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Survey-Short Form (BSES-SF). Descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance were used to assess differences among categories of participant demographics. In the health care personnel survey, among health care specialties, neonatology exhibited the highest mean scores on the IIFAS (69.8 ± 8.89), reflecting positive attitudes, while neurology and students had the lowest mean IIFAS scores (62.4 ± 10.3 and 58.2 ± 3.94, respectively) with neutral attitudes. Health care personnel with 16 or more years of service demonstrated positive attitudes toward breastfeeding (70.9 ± 9.30), as assessed by IIFAS. In the survey of women with MS, women identifying as Middle Eastern/North African had the highest mean IIFAS score (78.0 ± 5.66), indicating positive breastfeeding attitudes, while women identifying as Black had the lowest (62.7 ± 6.07), reflecting a neutral attitude. Positive attitudes were revealed by participants who exclusively breastfed for 6 months (70.1 ± 7.17) and who had three or more children (70.1 ± 6.17). Participants who exclusively breastfed for 6 months and who had breastfed three or more children demonstrated the highest breastfeeding self-efficacy as assessed by BSES-SF scores (52.2 ± 4.93 and 51.7 ± 5.26, respectively). Attitudes towards breastfeeding in women with MS differed by health care specialty and years of service in health care personnel. Among women with MS, infant feeding attitudes and breastfeeding self-efficacy varied based on ethnicity, age, number of children, number of children breastfed, and breastfeeding exclusivity.

Adult

Attitude of Health Personnel

Breast Feeding - psychology

Cross-Sectional Studies

Female

Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice

Health Personnel - psychology

Humans

Middle Aged

Multiple Sclerosis - psychology

Self Efficacy

Surveys and Questionnaires

UIOWA OA Agreement

Details

Title: Subtitle: Assessing Breastfeeding Attitudes and Self-Efficacy Among Health care Personnel and Women With Multiple Sclerosis: Two Cross-Sectional Surveys
Creators: Solange M Saxby - Dartmouth Health
Carlyn Haas - University of Iowa, Internal Medicine
Anna Klein - University of Iowa, Internal Medicine
Tyler J Titcomb - Epidemiology Department, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
Farnoosh Shemirani - University of Iowa
Terry Wahls - Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
Linda Snetselaar - University of Iowa, Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center
Christine Gill - University of Iowa, Neurology
Pamela Mulder - College of Nursing, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Brain and behavior, Vol.15(4), e70468
DOI: 10.1002/brb3.70468
PMID: 40249074
PMCID: PMC12007018
NLM abbreviation: Brain Behav
ISSN: 2162-3279
eISSN: 2162-3279
Publisher: Wiley; HOBOKEN
Grant note: University of Iowa Obermann Center Dartmouth Health Primary Care Research Fellowship National MS Society Burroughs Wellcome Fund
Language: English
Date published: 04/2025
Academic Unit: Neurology; Epidemiology; Nursing; Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center; General Internal Medicine; Internal Medicine
Record Identifier: 9984811225002771

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