J Nutr Educ Behav. 2025 Sep 3:S1499-4046(25)00404-X. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2025.07.014. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To assess mothers’ perceptions of judgment for infant feeding practices and opinions of the messages Breast is Best and Fed is Best, and investigate variation in these outcomes by sociodemographic characteristics and infant feeding practices.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey design.
PARTICIPANTS: US women with children aged 1-4 years (n = 926) recruited from a national online opinion panel.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Perceptions of judgment for breastfeeding and formula feeding by health care providers and community members; opinions of infant feeding messages.
ANALYSIS: We used multivariable logistic regression to identify predictors of each outcome measure.
RESULTS: Approximately 40% of participants who used infant formula felt judged for formula feeding by both health care providers and their community. Of those who ever breastfed, 17.0% and 26.3% felt judged for breastfeeding by providers and their community, respectively. More than half (56.1%) of respondents had a very positive opinion of Fed is Best, as compared with 33.3% for Breast is Best. Sociodemographic characteristics were significantly associated with perceived judgment and/or attitudes toward infant feeding messages.
CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Perceptions of judgment were common. Opinions of Breast is Best were more negative than opinions of Fed is Best, suggesting a need for more effective and nuanced breastfeeding promotion messages.
PMID:40900064 | DOI:10.1016/j.jneb.2025.07.014
