An evaluation of a breast-feeding education intervention among Spanish-speaking families

This study assessed the impact of an educational breast-feeding, intervention oil the knowledge, attitudes and perceived ability to access breast-feeding resources among Spanish-speaking Latino families making breast-feeding decisions. Conducted in cooperation with the local office of The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program tor Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), this university-based, multidisciplinary outreach and research project was held in a semirural part of Utah, where Latinos constitute the fastest and largest growing group of the population and have the lowest breast-feeding duration rates. The results suggest that teaching a lactation class in Spanish to Latino women significantly increased their willingness to breast-feed and empowered them by increasing their belief that they could breast-feed even if they work or attend School, that they would not have a problem with insufficient milk, and that they would not need to limit their diet to breast-feed. Additionally, the study indicated that Latino women are more likely to access health care services from agencies providing services in Spanish, regardless of their secondary fluency in English. (c) 2004 by The Haworth Press. Inc. All rights reserved.