Abstract:
The purposes of this study were to explore milk expression behaviors, examined the relationships and predictive factors between modifying factors to promote milk expression, number of pregnancy, perception toward the susceptibility, severity, benefit and barrier of milk expression behavior in mothers of premature infants. A conceptual framework used in this study was the Health Belief Model (Becker, 1974). Samples were 140 mothers of premature infants whose premature infants were admitted at the Neonatal intensive care unit and premature infant unit in a government hospital and were recruited by simple random sampling technique. Research instrument included three parts of the demographic data, modifying factors, health perceived of milk expression behavior and milk expression behavior questionnaires. The questionnaires were tested for the content validity by a panel of experts and CVI were .80 and .90, respectively. The Cronbachs alpha reliability were .77 and .80, respectively. Data were analyzed by mean, standard deviation, Pearsons correlation, Spearman correlation, Biserial correlation, Point biserial correlation and stepwise multiple regression.
The major findings were as follows:
1. Milk expression behaviors in mothers of premature infants was at high level (X= 3.20, SD=.32).
2. Perceived susceptibility and perceived benefit were significantly positive correlated with milk expression behaviors at the level of .01 (r= 0.225, 0.244, respectively).
3. Perceived benefit was significantly predicted the milk expression behaviors in mothers of premature infants at the level of.01. The predictive could explain 6 percent of the total variance
(R2 =.060).
The standardized prediction equation is as follows.
Zˆmilk expression behavior = .244 Z perceived benefit