Table 6 Summary of results from the acceptability to donate human milk study, reported using constructs from the theoretical framework of acceptability (TFA) by Sekhon et al.
TFA construct | Definition | Sub themes | Major themes | Suggestions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Affective attitude | Affective attitude implies how an individual feels about the intervention | Breast milk best food/no substitutes Breast milk is irreplaceable Self-relief from pain or congestion | Enablers of human milk donation | Build on the enablers to educate and sensitize people about human milk donation |
Self-efficacy | Participant’s confidence that they can perform behaviour required by intervention | Would rather donate breast milk than discard it | ||
Intervention coherence | Extent to which the participant understands the intervention and how it works | ‘I have seen babies wet nursed grow well’ Breastfed babies grow healthy Positive experience with donated breast milk | ||
Perceived effectiveness | Extent to which intervention is perceived to achieve its purpose | Breast milk saves lives/ especially of premature | ||
Burden | The perceived amount of effort required to participate in the intervention | May not have time to donate | Barriers of human milk donation | Process of human milk donation should be quick Consider pick up services from home Doctors to assess those suitable to donate Community education about human milk donation to address those fears. Provide health education & counselling Involvement of male partner in education and decision making in human milk donation |
Opportunity costs | Extent to which benefits, profits, or values must be given up to engage in the intervention | Fear the milk may not be enough for own baby May lead to distorted body image /breast sagging Fear to test for HIV and know one’s sero-status Fear to transmit infections | ||
Ethicality | Extent to which the intervention has good fit with an individual’s value system | Negative socio-cultural beliefs (a belief that criminality and mental illness can be transmitted through donated human milk & fear that mother can be harmed through donated human milk) Partner/spouse refusal |