Public Health Communication and Response to COVID-19: Resilience among Breastfeeding Mothers in Gqeberha, South Africa

Abstract

This chapter examines how women understand and account for their behaviour concerning the traditional forms of communication that underpin the ideology of motherhood, which has been socially constructed as a critical aspect of womanhood. The participants were selected through purposive sampling where 60 women participated in focus group discussions. The findings revealed that women's breastfeeding knowledge and attitudes, as well as their degree of education, were all connected to their practice of exclusive breastfeeding, while cultural views were also connected to breastfeeding practices. The study recommends that mothers and the public be better educated about the benefits and importance of exclusive breastfeeding.

Citation

Nyembezi, N. and Chimbala-Kalenga, R. (2022), "Public Health Communication and Response to COVID-19: Resilience among Breastfeeding Mothers in Gqeberha, South Africa", Osabuohien, E., Odularu, G., Ufua, D. and Osabohien, R. (Ed.) COVID-19 in the African Continent, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 109-119. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80117-686-620221010