To describe the attitudes and subjective norms of female adolescents toward breastfeeding, and to determine whether these are influenced by age, education level, mother tongue, place of birth, exposure to breastfeeding and intention to breastfeed their children.
236 female adolescents, from four schools randomly selected among those offering education levels from secondary 1 to V 4, answered a questionnaire based on the theory of reasoned action.
Female adolescents showed overall positive attitudes towards breastfeeding, but negative subjective norms. Older girls who were breastfed as infants and who originated from foreign countries showed the most positive attitudes towards breastfeeding.
Even though adolescent girls showed overall positive attitudes, several were unable to make up their mind. This result could be attributed to a lack of knowledge and low exposure to breastfeeding mothers. The school system plays an important role in health promotion and should expose all students to the art of breastfeeding through its health classes.