Framing Breastfeeding and Formula-Feeding Messages in Popular U.S. Magazines

Media framing of infant feeding has the ability to influence knowledge and views of the barriers, benefits, and solutions inherent in breastfeeding or formula-feeding. This study examined how seven popular U.S. parenting, general women's, and African American magazines framed breastfeeding and...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Women & health 2006-01, Vol.44 (1), p.95-118
Main Authors: Frerichs, Leah, Andsager, Julie L., Campo, Shelly, Aquilino, Mary, Dyer, Carolyn Stewart
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Baby foods
Bottle Feeding - statistics & numerical data
Breast Feeding - statistics & numerical data
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding & lactation
Female
framing
Health behavior
Health Education - methods
Health Education - statistics & numerical data
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Humans
Infant Care - statistics & numerical data
Infant, Newborn
infants
Mass Media - statistics & numerical data
Media coverage
Mothers
Mothers - education
Parents - education
Periodicals as Topic - statistics & numerical data
sense-making
United States
Women's Health
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Media framing of infant feeding has the ability to influence knowledge and views of the barriers, benefits, and solutions inherent in breastfeeding or formula-feeding. This study examined how seven popular U.S. parenting, general women's, and African American magazines framed breastfeeding and formula-feeding messages to determine whether a sense-making approach was used and the extent to which visual images portrayed feeding practices. Analysis included 615 articles published from 1997 to 2003 that referred to infant feeding. Text and images were analyzed. The magazines provided more information on breastfeeding than formula feeding. Parenting magazines included more advice than barriers or benefits. African American magazines presented more breastfeeding benefits, and general women's magazines contained the least infant-feeding information. Messages were focused on individualized breastfeeding barriers and advice, seldom covered social and environmental issues, and placed much of the responsibility of infant feeding on the mother, while the role of social and partner support was diminished. Bottle-feeding images were nearly as common as breastfeeding images. Findings can be used by public health practitioners to increase the likelihood of reaching certain target audiences through popular magazines.
ISSN:0363-0242
1541-0331
DOI:10.1300/J013v44n01_06