Breastfeeding information in midwifery textbooks in Japan: content analysis with evaluation standards based on Delphi method.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate breastfeeding information in midwifery textbooks. Evaluation standards were developed in order to perform content analysis. A 3-round Delphi method using a panel of 32 midwives resulted in 36 evaluation items from the original 38 draft items based on 4 major international guidelines and statements on breastfeeding. Subsequently, breastfeeding descriptions in 4 midwifery textbooks most frequently used in Japan were examined using a 4-point scale (A, accurate and sufficient description; B, accurate but insufficient description; C, no description; and D, inaccurate or inconsistent description). Among the evaluation items, 40% were rated as A, 25% as C, 21% as B, and 15% as D across the 4 textbooks. In conclusion, a substantial proportion of breastfeeding information in these textbooks was found to be inaccurate, inconsistent, or insufficient in content.