Informational Intervention in Increasing Lactation Practices by African American Women

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Develop appropriate intervention strategies about the ?breastfeeding-breast cancer
connection? appropriate for use by experienced Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Peer
Counselors (PCs) to disseminate to African-American mothers through a community-based
participatory research (CBPR) approach.

II. Assess the comparative cognitive (e.g., knowledge, utility, cost-benefit), affective
association (e.g., feelings), socioeconomic, familial and intent/outcome (e.g.,
breastfeeding) measures pre- and post-intervention to determine effectiveness of the content
to impact cognitive and feeling measures and increase breastfeeding in young African-American
mothers compared to an existing counseling program.

OUTLINE: Participants are assigned to 1 of 2 groups.

GROUP I: Participants receive standard information about pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Participants may also participate in a focus group with their partner/spouse or family
members after the baby's birth.

GROUP II: Participants receive standard information about pregnancy and breastfeeding as well
as information about breastfeeding and breast cancer. Participants may also participate in a
focus group with their partner/spouse or family members after the baby's birth.

After completion of the information intervention, participants are followed for up to 1 year.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Pregnant African American women participating in the Catholic Charities WIC Program

- INCLUSION - FOCUS GROUPS: Representative mothers, spouses/partners, influential family
members (e.g., grandmothers, sisters) from the families served during the study.

- INCLUSION - FOCUS GROUPS: Partners/spouses may include men or women.

Exclusion Criteria:

- Unwilling or unable to follow protocol requirements.