The Educational Needs of Mothers with low SES on Breastfeeding

 Hello!  My name is Diana Anderson and I am a nursing student at 
the University of North Dakota.  I am currently taking a childbearing 
class and have just finished my clinicals on the OB Unit.  I recently 
joined the listserv and have learned a lot from all the professionals that 
participate.  I want to be the best RN that I can and I am eager to learn 
from other professionals.  One of my main topics of interest is how nurses 
can best educate their patients.  
 Education plays such a critical role in the relationship between 
the patient and their health status.  The nurse is sometimes the key 
provider in the education that the patient receives on the their 
condition.  That is why it is so important to understand the best ways to 
educate each patient individually.  To do this the nurse has to be able to 
assess the learning needs of the patient and their socioeconomic satus.  
Often times people with low socioeconomic status may have more learning 
needs due to their inability to acquire community and other social 
resources (Sword & Watt, 2005).  
 One of the reasons that it is important for nurses to bridge that 
gap between women with low SES and resources is to help promote 
breastfeeding education among these women.  These women need this 
information most because they face conditions just like the conditions 
that have occurred down south from Hurricane Katrina.  It is in these 
conditions that breastfeeding is critical in saving the life of infants 
(Davanzo, 2004).  Davanzo (2004) talks about how disaster situations are a 
critical time for infants to be breastfed to avoid sickness, but 
breastfeeding doesn’t occur due to the unmet educational needs of the 
woman.  
 Some studies suggest that there is a direct correlation between 
the education and intelligence of the mother and the child’s nutrition 
that can overcome lower socioeconomic status.  One study states that women 
with a higher educational level are chosing to provide a more nutritional 
diet to their children, including the choice to breastfeed (Creed-
Kanashiro, Cueto, Jacoby, & Wachs, 2005).  There is a greater need for 
education among lower SES women and there are more and more American’s 
facing poor conditions due to the recent events down south.  What advice 
can be given to future nurses on how to effectively educate these women on 
breastfeeding?  Is there any specific resources that are geared primarily 
for women in these situations?

Thank You,
Diana Anderson, SN

                                References
 
Creed-Kanashiro, H., Cueto, S., Jacoby, E., & Wachs, T. (2005).  Maternal  
education and Intelligence Predict Offspring Diet and Nutritional Status.  
The American Society for Nutritional Sciences, 135, 2179-2186.

Davanzo, R. (2004).  Newborns in Adverse Conditions: Issues, Challenges,  
and Interventions.  Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 49, 29-35.

Sword, W., & Watt, S. (2005).  Learning Needs of Postpartum Women: Does 
 Socioeconomic Status Matter?  BIRTH, 32(2), 86-92.

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