Recall Accuracy of Breastfeeding Data
Author Information
Author(s): Brenda Gillespie, Hannah d'Arcy, Kendra Schwartz, Janet Kay Bobo, Betsy Foxman
Primary Institution: University of Michigan
Hypothesis
How accurately do breastfeeding mothers recall the age of weaning and other breastfeeding variables over time?
Conclusion
Breastfeeding duration is often overestimated when recalled 1–3.5 years after the event, and the reliability of other breastfeeding characteristics varies.
Supporting Evidence
- 184 women were interviewed about breastfeeding practices.
- Recall accuracy varied, with some reasons for weaning reported more reliably than others.
- Overestimation of breastfeeding duration was observed, particularly at longer recall intervals.
Takeaway
Moms sometimes forget details about breastfeeding, and when they remember, they often think they breastfed longer than they really did.
Methodology
Women were interviewed by telephone every 3 weeks for 3 months after childbirth and again at 6 months and 1–3.5 years later.
Potential Biases
Recall bias may lead to overestimation of breastfeeding duration due to social pressures.
Limitations
The study could not address the question of any versus no breastfeeding and had a less than perfect re-contact rate.
Participant Demographics
Participants were mostly white (95%), aged 18-42, with 63% having an older child.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p < 0.0001
Confidence Interval
95% CI [0.71, 0.80]
Statistical Significance
p < 0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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