Department of Sociology and Communications, School of Social Sciences, Brunel University, West London, United Kingdom.
Birth. 2011 Mar;38(1):61-70. doi: 10.1111/j.1523-536X.2010.00442.x. Epub 2011 Jan 4.
The views of fathers have been shown to be important determinants of infant feeding decisions, but men's perceptions of breastfeeding and formula feeding are rarely explored. Our objectives were to address this gap and examine cultural associations and beliefs concerning infant feeding practices among men.
Five focus groups were conducted with low-income men (n = 28) living in areas of social deprivation in Leeds, northeast of England, and low-income areas of Glasgow, west of Scotland. Participants were white British men, aged between 16 and 45 years, and included fathers, expectant fathers, and potential fathers.
Overarching themes concerning sexuality, embarrassment, and social conduct were identified across all groups. Participants perceived breastfeeding as "natural" but problematic, whereas formula feeding was mainly considered as convenient and safe. Participants without direct experience of breastfeeding assumed that it involved excessive public exposure and attracted unwanted male attention. Underpinning these fears were strong cultural associations between breasts and sexuality and anxieties concerning appropriate gender roles.
In some communities few opportunities may occur to witness breastfeeding, and thus existing fears concerning the activity as attracting predatory male attention remain unchallenged. Perceptions of breastfeeding as a sexual activity and the dominant mass media emphasis on breasts as a sexual site may present additional obstacles to breastfeeding. Antenatal or perinatal education with men should address not only practical issues but also provide advice on tackling problems generated by wider sociocultural issues of sexuality and masculinity.
父亲的观点已被证明是婴儿喂养决策的重要决定因素，但很少探讨男性对母乳喂养和配方奶喂养的看法。我们的目的是解决这一差距，并研究男性对婴儿喂养实践的文化关联和信念。
在英格兰东北部利兹的社会贫困地区和苏格兰西部格拉斯哥的贫困地区，对 28 名低社会经济地位的白人英国男性（年龄在 16 岁至 45 岁之间）进行了 5 次焦点小组讨论。参与者包括父亲、准父亲和潜在父亲。
所有小组都确定了与性、尴尬和社会行为有关的总体主题。参与者认为母乳喂养是“自然的”但有问题，而配方奶喂养主要被认为是方便和安全的。没有直接母乳喂养经验的参与者认为母乳喂养涉及过度的公共暴露，并吸引了不必要的男性关注。这些担忧的背后是乳房和性之间的强烈文化关联，以及对适当性别角色的焦虑。
在一些社区，可能很少有机会目睹母乳喂养，因此，母乳喂养可能会引起捕食性男性关注的现有恐惧仍然没有得到挑战。将母乳喂养视为一种性活动，以及主流大众媒体将乳房作为性场所的强调，可能会给母乳喂养带来额外的障碍。男性的产前或围产期教育不仅应解决实际问题，还应提供有关解决与性和男子气概等更广泛社会文化问题相关的问题的建议。
