Mass Media and Promotion of the Benefit of Exclusive Breastfeeding
CHAPTER ONE
Objectives of Study
The following include the general purpose for this research work
- To examine the influence of media campaigns on exclusive breast-feeding in Akwa Ibom State.
- To analyze the perception of women regarding the media campaigns in the various media in Akwa Ibom State.
- To identify the various constraints and challenges the women have in using the various media for exclusive breast-feeding campaigns.
- To make recommendations on the subsequent media campaigns on exclusive breastfeeding campaigns and other developmental campaigns in the state.
Research Questions
In line with the problem, that this study is set to solve, the following research questions have been formulated as a guide to the study.
- What is the perception of the women on various media used for the exclusive breastfeeding campaigns?
- What is the volume of these campaigns in the various media and the time frame each of these campaigns run to ensure influence and subsequent change in behaviour?
- What influence does the exclusive breast feeding campaigns have on women in Akwa Ibom state?
- What are the various constraints or challenges the women have in their use of the media use on the exclusive breast-feeding campaign?
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Focus of the Review
The general purpose for this research work include: to examine the influence of media campaigns on exclusive breast-feeding in Akwa Ibom State, to analyze the perception of women regarding the media campaigns on the various media in Akwa Ibom State, to identify the various constraints and challenges the women have using the various media for exclusive breast-feeding campaigns and to make recommendations on the subsequent media campaigns on exclusive breast-feeding campaigns and other developmental campaigns in the state.
The focus of the review is firstly, a general overview of exclusive breastfeeding in Nigeria and Akwa Ibom State. It also focuses on the relationship between exclusive breast feeding, quality health and its resultant effect on development. It reviews opinions of scholars on the subject. The review analyzes the various communication strategies and barriers which communication campaigns designers ought to pay adequate attention to, to be able to effectively reach their goals for the campaigns.
The Review itself
One of the indices of a developed country is the provision of quality health care, where structures are put in place to ensure that the lives of the citizens in the society are protected especially the lives of women and children. This is the major concern of all the nations of the world.
A special report of the millennium development goals (MDGs) included in the World Health Statistics 2010 highlights the urgency to improve the life of the new born in order to achieve MDG goals. The report shows that globally about 40% of deaths among children less than five years of age occur in the first month of life and the majority of those in the first week. Nearly 10 million children under the age of five die each year and more than 1000, every hour. However most could survive these threats and live with access to simple affordable intervention (World health statistics, 2010).
These deaths are caused by a number of factors which include under nutrition or malnutrition. According to a data published by World Health Organization (WHO) on the causes of infant deaths, the presence of under nutrition account for 35 percent of these infant deaths. For the African continent, the major causes of death for 2008 reports states that 29 percent of the new born die, and 28 percent of these deaths are caused by neo-natal infection for which malnutrition or under nutrition is a major cause (World Health Statistics, 2010).
In Nigeria, malnutrition is wide spread. For example, 43% of all children less than five years of age are stunted, 9% wasted and 25% are under weight.
(Nigeria National Demographic and Health Survey, 2003). According to the National policy on infant and young child feeding in Nigeria, the immediate cause of malnutrition in the first two years of life are inappropriate breast-feeding and complementary feeding practices coupled with high rates of infections. This policy notes that over 50% of Nigeria infants are given complementary foods too early and are often of poor nutritional values mostly inadequate in terms of energy, protein, and micronutrients such as iron, zinc, iodine and vitamin A. These reports are the harsh realities of the world especially for the developing countries like Nigeria. These occurrences have called for world collective efforts to curb such menace to the barest minimum. One such intervention is the exclusive breastfeeding campaign.
Exclusive breast-feeding campaign is an intervention programme structured to combat the menace of child malnutrition which is the major cause of child mortality in developing countries. In attempt to achieve successful breast feeding globally by the year 2000, World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) launched the baby friendly hospital imitative (BFHI) in 1991, to promote and sustain breast feeding by mothers for their children.
Williams (2003, March 12) opines:
By exclusive, we mean to breast feed without adding water. No infant formula, herbal medicine or whatever, and also to initiate breast feeding within the first hours of birth is critical. Immediately after delivering, the baby should be put to breast, even before the mother is cleaned because that has other effect on the release of placenta.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
This study used the survey methodology. Survey according to Ohaja (2003:11) is a study of the characteristics of a sample through questioning that enables a researcher to make generalizations concerning his population of interest. Nworgu (1991: 55) states that a survey research is one in which a group of people or items is studied by collecting and analyzing data from a few items considered to be representative of the entire group. The use of survey research design was relevant in this research work because the methodology was suitable for the questioning of the researcher’s sample size which included people who may not be as educated as the others and so required to guided in other to provide the information that helped the researcher to draw conclusions from a sampled population, the researcher was able to do this, with the help of a research assistant. The questionnaire which is the instrument for data collection also contained questions relevant to the researcher’s study, and thus helped the researcher to get the exact data required to make conclusions.
Population of Study
This research was carried out in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Akwa Ibom State is delineated into three senatorial districts, namely, Akwa Ibom South, Akwa Ibom North and Akwa Ibom central.
According to the 2006 census figures, Akwa Ibom state has a land mass of about 5834 square kilometers and a population of about 2,845,380(1,430,298 males and 1,415,082 females). The population figure for the research work was drawn from three villages, in three different local government areas representing the three senatorial districts in the state.
According to Nwana as quoted in (Okoro 2001: 73). “if the population is a few hundreds, a 40% or more sample will do; if many hundreds, 20% sample will do, if a few thousands, a 10% sample will do; and if several thousands, a 5% or less sample will do”. Based on Nwanna’s assertion, the researcher purposefully chose to study 3000 elements from these three Local Government Areas whose population figures run in several thousands. The reason being that this population was readily assessable and manageable to the researcher as against the 1,415082 which is the total population of women in Akwa Ibom State. Also, the researcher chose the villages to be used for the study based on the researcher’s knowledge of these villages to suit the topic of study. The population for this study is therefore 3000 women.
The research population included all women drawn from three villages from three local governments within the three senatorial districts.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION
Description of the Sample
The sample for this research work consists of women of childbearing age resident in Akwa Ibom state.
Data Presentation and Analysis
Demograghic Data
Questions under this heading deal with the respondents age group, occupation, educational qualification, marital status, and whether the respondents are pregnant, breast feeding or not.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
The study analyzed media campaigns on exclusive breast-feeding in Akwa Ibom State. The mass media on daily basis air many campaigns whose main objectives are to change or to influence the behaviour of members of the society towards certain developmental goals. It is believed that the media arguably are very effective in influencing the behaviour of people towards particular life styles through their messages and campaigns, and thus can be an effective tool in supporting and sustaining development.
It is important that these media messages and campaigns are packaged and delivered in such way that they would meet the targets and yield the desired goals of those who designed them especially where they concern health and quality health care. One of such campaigns is the exclusive breast-feeding benefits, which are enormous and would adequately enhance the lives of women and children. However it is feared that given so many factors, these campaigns and messages might not be effective and would not meet the purpose for which they were designed which is to influence positively the disposition of the women towards exclusive breast-feeding. Hence the need to ensure that the campaigns achieve the desired results.
Following the above, this study sought to examine the perception of women regarding the media used for the campaigns, to check the influence of the campaigns on the behaviour of the women regarding exclusive breast-feeding and the various constraints and challenges they have, using the various media where the campaigns run. The study discussed the essence of packaging these media campaigns to ensure its effectiveness by ensuring that the people who are the target are well researched, and the content, timing and the eventual packaging are all well planned and programmed to suit the target.
The study is significant because it will enhance the effectiveness of media campaigns. It will help campaign designers to use the right medium for the right target audience. The study would be useful to media practitioners because it will provide information on how to effectively mix the various communication media available for the people. These include the modern mass media and the traditional communication systems in the disseminations of information and development communication messages especially to those in the rural areas, thus increasing the desired behaviourial change geared towards development because the campaigns will be effective. Most importantly, it examined and evaluated the actual influence of these campaigns on going in the state and thus provides information on the current results regarding exclusive breast-feeding campaign.
A suitable theoretical framework was used in order to give the study a sound foundation, the innovation diffusion theory was used for this study. This theory explains how a new innovation, object or practice is strategically diffused to the target audience is the way that they pay attention, understand, internalize and adopt the new idea, practice or use the innovation. Relevant literatures were reviewed, evaluating the opinion of other scholars who have discussed the essentials of media campaigns and its relevance in developmental communication.
Survey research design was used, using the structured questionnaire instrument in collecting the relevant data. A sample size of 300 was selected from the population size using the purposively and accidental sampling techniques. The data collected were analyzed in chapter four and the findings discussed alongside the research questions.
The major findings of the study showed that the most effective channel through which the people receive information on exclusive breast-feeding is the interpersonal communication via the health centers. The ability to ask questions and easily understand the messages of the campaigns are what appeals most to the target about the channels through they access information on exclusive breast-feeding indicated thus.
It was found that the people do not depend wholly on the media in order to respond to certain information that demand actions from them but wait to hear from leaders, friends and others before responding to the information. Again it was shown from the study that the campaigns on exclusive breast-feeding in the media are not adequate and thus may not be effective in bringing about the behaviourial change that is desired.
Finally, the study indicated that majority of the women who have been exposed to exclusive breast-feeding campaigns were not affected by them as their predisposition and perception about exclusive breast feeding has not been affected.
Conclusion
The results obtained from this study of the three villages each from the three senatorial districts in Akwa Ibom State. The broadcast media are more effective and would have more impact on women than the print media. The interpersonal channels which is the mode of communication during the antenatal clinic session and interactions, amongst friends, and in the market place are the most effective mode of communication to reach the women, thus in the packaging these campaigns, these designers must ensure that interpersonal communication is used.
The study shows that the campaigns on exclusive breast-feeding do not run in adequate volumes and thus are not able to effect positive behaviourial change on the women doing exclusive breast-feeding for their children. The predominant opinion among the respondents is that they do not get information very often on exclusive breast-feeding. Those who live in the more rural areas such as Itu and Abak do not receive information as much as those who are living in the more urban area of Eket, Uyo. Thus the information that is available on exclusive breast-feeding are designed and concentrated more on the urban than the rural area. The study also shows that the perception of the women towards the media used for the campaigns do not have strong influence over the women. The data shows that although most of the women have heard about the campaigns through the media, they still rely on the opinion leaders, friends and others before they respond to the information they get from the media either positively or negatively depending on the opinion of those whose opinions they have sought. Moreover, the information the women get on exclusive breast-feeding does not affect the majority of them towards positively changing their perception about exclusively breast-feeding their children. Even though they think it is a good practice, they still reserve their predisposition toward exclusive breast-feeding.
The study also indicates that the women have challenges using the media they prefer for exclusive breast-feeding. These challenges range from lack of electric power supply to high cost of buying the appliances and others such as the print media. These challenges affect to what extent the women will use the media and the attendant effects of developmental campaigns which ought change their behaviour and mobilize the people towards achieving the said goals.
Recommendations
Having drawn the above conclusions, based on the major findings of the study, the researcher offers following recommendations in the hope that these will help the government, development programme intervention designers, media practitioners, programme designers and other stakeholders to take steps in ensuring that media campaigns are strategically planned and designed to suit the people for whom it is designed.
- It is important that the people for whom the campaign will be designed will be researched into by those whose job it would be to design the campaigns. This is because a thorough research into the people will give the developers the necessary information that will help to design campaigns that will be effective. The research will also reveal the perception of the people towards the particular issues that needs a behaviourial change and thus provide a veritable basis from where the campaign can be started rather than throwing darts in the dark or emphasizing aspects of the issues which do not emphasis.
- The campaign designers should adopt communication approaches and media theories which will most suitably work for the particular target audience. These will be most effective if the campaign is well-planned and adequate time given from the time of the design of the campaign to the time it is placed in the media to ensure that the people are affected by the messages. This is essential, given the subtle nature of media campaigns and how they affect the target. Theories such as the innovation diffusion theory indicates that ample time must be devoted between the time the people begin to get exposed to the message and when they eventually accept and adopt the message or innovation being sold to them. One such communication approach is integrated communication model approach
- It is very essential that media campaigns should be reviewed from time to time as long as the need to place such campaigns in the media still exists. The need exist until the particular campaign has become a social norm. Reviewing the campaigns will enable the designers to measure the effects of the campaigns on the targets. It will expose areas where the campaign designers will need to enhance and areas to begin to remove from the campaigns because the targets do not require motivation or mobilization, information or persuasion in those aspects. Reviewing these campaigns especially on issues pertaining to development and health can be cost effective and save cost which can be channeled into purposive ventures.
- There should to be more campaigns on exclusive breast-feeding which would aggressively persuade and motivate women to do it. The broadcast media must be used to collaborate the counseling, teachings and publicity that the hospitals, and health centers are giving. Adopting subtle strategies such dramas, songs and group grooming session would over a period of time will the subconscious of these women and cause them to adopt these media messages rather than the “once upon a time” approach that has been the way these campaigns are placed in the media. Posters and banners must also be used to reach corners on the streets and high ways to ensure that the information about the benefits of exclusive breast feeding is readily available to the entire society.
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