Breastfeeding rates of incarcerated women in the U.S. are unknown. As the female prison population rises, little to no data exists on breastfeeding initiation within prison nursery programs. The purpose of this case study was to assess breastfeeding facilitation and initiation within one prison nursery program. An interview was conducted with a nursery program administrator from one of nine active prison nurseries here in the U.S. Constructs from the Social Cognitive Theory including reciprocal determination, facilitation, observational learning, and incentive motivation were assessed. Through an administrative perspective, the results provided a better understanding of prison nursery programs and shed light on the realities of breastfeeding mothers caring for children while incarcerated. It is suggested that further research be conducted on breastfeeding initiation and duration within prison nursery programs. Additionally, research is warranted to assist in future breastfeeding initiatives within existing prison nurseries and to evaluate the needs of breastfeeding mothers.
","abstract_html":"<p>Breastfeeding rates of incarcerated women in the U.S. are unknown. As the female prison population rises, little to no data exists on breastfeeding initiation within prison nursery programs. The purpose of this case study was to assess breastfeeding facilitation and initiation within one prison nursery program. An interview was conducted with a nursery program administrator from one of nine active prison nurseries here in the U.S. Constructs from the Social Cognitive Theory including reciprocal determination, facilitation, observational learning, and incentive motivation were assessed. Through an administrative perspective, the results provided a better understanding of prison nursery programs and shed light on the realities of breastfeeding mothers caring for children while incarcerated. It is suggested that further research be conducted on breastfeeding initiation and duration within prison nursery programs. Additionally, research is warranted to assist in future breastfeeding initiatives within existing prison nurseries and to evaluate the needs of breastfeeding mothers.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Wallace, Jessica"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Open Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Health Promotion and Human Performance","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Joan Cowdery, Ph.D, Chair","Susan McCarthy, Ph.D."],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2015-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:17:13Z","subjects":["Breastfeeding","Breastfeeding Facilitation","Pregnancy","Prison nursery","Social Cognitive Theory","Women's prison","Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies","Medicine and Health Sciences"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.emich.edu/theses/719","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Joan Cowdery, Ph.D, Chair","Susan McCarthy, Ph.D."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Wallace, Jessica"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-08-08T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Health Promotion and Human Performance"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Breastfeeding","Breastfeeding Facilitation","Pregnancy","Prison nursery","Social Cognitive Theory","Women's prison","Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies","Medicine and Health Sciences"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/719"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Breastfeeding rates of incarcerated women in the U.S. are unknown. As the female prison population rises, little to no data exists on breastfeeding initiation within prison nursery programs. The purpose of this case study was to assess breastfeeding facilitation and initiation within one prison nursery program. An interview was conducted with a nursery program administrator from one of nine active prison nurseries here in the U.S. Constructs from the Social Cognitive Theory including reciprocal determination, facilitation, observational learning, and incentive motivation were assessed. Through an administrative perspective, the results provided a better understanding of prison nursery programs and shed light on the realities of breastfeeding mothers caring for children while incarcerated. It is suggested that further research be conducted on breastfeeding initiation and duration within prison nursery programs. Additionally, research is warranted to assist in future breastfeeding initiatives within existing prison nurseries and to evaluate the needs of breastfeeding mothers.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Case Study: Breastfeeding Facilitation and Initiation within one Prison Nursery Program"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Joan Cowdery, Ph.D, Chair","Susan McCarthy, Ph.D."],"dc:creator":["Wallace, Jessica"],"dc:date.available":["2017-08-08T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Breastfeeding rates of incarcerated women in the U.S. are unknown. As the female prison population rises, little to no data exists on breastfeeding initiation within prison nursery programs. The purpose of this case study was to assess breastfeeding facilitation and initiation within one prison nursery program. An interview was conducted with a nursery program administrator from one of nine active prison nurseries here in the U.S. Constructs from the Social Cognitive Theory including reciprocal determination, facilitation, observational learning, and incentive motivation were assessed. Through an administrative perspective, the results provided a better understanding of prison nursery programs and shed light on the realities of breastfeeding mothers caring for children while incarcerated. It is suggested that further research be conducted on breastfeeding initiation and duration within prison nursery programs. Additionally, research is warranted to assist in future breastfeeding initiatives within existing prison nurseries and to evaluate the needs of breastfeeding mothers.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/719"],"dc:subject":["Breastfeeding","Breastfeeding Facilitation","Pregnancy","Prison nursery","Social Cognitive Theory","Women's prison","Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies","Medicine and Health Sciences"],"dc:title":["Case Study: Breastfeeding Facilitation and Initiation within one Prison Nursery Program"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Health Promotion and Human Performance"],"thesis:degree_level":["Open Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:17:13Z"}