Attitudes of Vietnamese women to baby feeding practices before and after immigration to Sydney, Australia

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore Vietnamese women's attitudes, behaviour and beliefs towards baby feeding practices before and after immigration to Sydney. Findings from 70 questionnaires and 20 in-depth face-to-face interviews with ethnic Vietnamese women indicated that Vietnamese women's preference towards baby feeding practices was shaped by their health beliefs, which in turn were influenced by the social, cultural and economic environment of the host country. Changing to bottle feeding was an adaptation process, a bridge between the old and the new environments. Recommendations have been made regarding ways of promoting breast feeding among immigrant women.