Understanding the attitudes towards breastfeeding amongst staff and students in a UK higher institutional setting–a mixed-method cross-sectional study

Breastfeeding is recognised as a human right and in the UK, it is a legal requirement for employers to provide a space where breastfeeding mothers can rest. Despite this, breastfeeding rates in the UK are amongst the lowest in the world and breastfeeding mothers suffer prolonged loss of earnings compared to those who do not. In response, this study aimed to measure the attitudes to infant feeding among staff and students in a UK higher education institution and understand the experiences of those who have breastfed and/or expressed on campus. A convenience sampling technique was used to recruit 72 staff members and 99 students at the same UK university. Respondents completed an online questionnaire which first presented the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale and then provided an open text box where people who had experience of feeding on campus could share their experiences. Female respondents were more likely to prefer breastfeeding than men. Students were more likely to prefer breastfeeding than staff. However, raising breastfeeding awareness among both staff and students is required. A realist thematic analysis of the comments made by 17 staff members about their feeding experiences on campus identified a lack of consistency in terms of management and access to suitable facilities to either express milk or breastfeed. It is argued that a combination of education around breastfeeding, visual cues that breastfeeding is welcome, provision of suitable facilities and a clear breastfeeding policy that is consistently implemented is required to support breastfeeding on campus.