14 June 2000
Breast Feeding Encouraged by Winners of the RCGP/Boots The
Chemists Research Paper of the Year Award
The winning paper for the 1999 RCGP/Boots The
Chemists Research Paper of the Year Award has been announced as
"Qualitative study of decisions about infant feeding among women in
the east end of London". The authors, Dr Pat Hoddinott, a previous
RCGP Training Fellow, and Professor Roisin Pill studied first time
mothers and their reasons for deciding whether or not to breast
feed.
The researchers selected 21 women for
investigation from an inner city area who had left full time
education at an early age. The group was selected for investigation
as they were known to have low rates of breast feeding. Qualitative
semi-structured interviews were conducted in the women’s homes
early in pregnancy and six to ten weeks after birth. The
researchers found that those women who had seen a relative or
friend breast feed successfully and described this positively were
more committed to breast feeding and more likely to succeed. The
researchers concluded that the decision to breast feed is
influenced more by experience of seeing successful breast feeding
than by literature. All the women knew that breast feeding has
health benefits but this was not found to influence their
decision.
The paper was shortlisted with four other
entries for an in-depth discussion by the panel of assessors
chaired by Professor Philip Hannaford MD FRCGP, Director of the
RCGP Centre for Primary Care Research and Epidemiology at the
University of Aberdeen. The paper was chosen for the important
message it contained relating to the encouragement of breast
feeding as well as offering new insights on how its uptake can be
improved and sustained. The panel were particularly impressed by
its relevance to the whole primary care team and to health rather
than illness.
(Cont/…) (Cont/…2) Dr Pat Hoddinott is a part
time GP principal at the Macduff Medical Practice in Banffshire,
North East Scotland and an Honorary Clinical Research Fellow in the
Department of General Practice and Primary Care at the University
of Aberdeen. In 1995 she was awarded a two year research training
fellowship, funded by the RCGP and the Medical Insurance Agency
Charity. This enabled her to complete a part time distance learning
MPhil at the Department of General Practice at the University of
Wales College of Medicine in Cardiff under the supervision of
Professor Roisin Pill, during which part of the work for this study
was undertaken. Professor Roisin Pill originally trained as a
social anthropologist and began her research career as a social
scientist firstly in Swansea University and, for the past twenty
years in the Department of General Practice at the University of
Wales College of Medicine where she is now Research Professor
(Social Science). With other members of the Department she is
committed to demonstrating the contribution that qualitative theory
and methods can make to the design and evaluation of the complex
psycho-social interventions increasingly being attempted in general
practice. Roisin Pill has published extensively and was awarded a
personal chair in 1995. The RCGP/Boots The Chemists Research Paper
of the Year Award was set up in 1996 by the College’s Research
Group with sponsorship from Boots The Chemists. It is designed to
raise the profile of research in general practice and give
recognition to an individual or group of researchers who have
undertaken and published an exceptional piece of research relating
to general practice. Professor Philip Hannaford said "This paper
received unanimous praise from the judges for demonstrating how
primary care research can provide new insights into important
health issues." (Cont/…)
(Cont/…3)
Chairman of the RCGP Research Group, Professor
Yvonne Carter MD FRCGP, said: "This is an excellent paper on a
qualitative study undertaken within a general practice setting. It
is particularly pleasing to see one of the College’s previous
Research Training Fellows go on to be the co-author of a Research
Paper of the Year, demonstrating not only the high quality of
research achievable in a general practice setting but the value of
research fellowships in developing primary care researchers."
Digby Emson, Pharmacy Superintendent for Boots
The Chemists commented: "Boots The Chemists is delighted to be
sponsoring this award. This year's winner highlights the need for
members of the primary healthcare team to provide easy access to
healthcare information. This is particularly the case for those
members of our community who may not immediately turn to
professionals for advice. The study challenges us to communicate
information on healthcare topics in new and different ways so that
we can reach those who can most benefit from it."
The authors will present their winning paper at
a one day seminar to be held at The RCGP on 21st June
2000 - "2000 and on – Funding for Primary Care R&D and the
Primary Care Research Agenda for the Future" – sponsored by
Boots The Chemists. Speakers will include Professor Cliff Bailey
who will speak on supporting primary care research and Professor
David Mant FRCGP who will speak on the ‘Future Agenda for Primary
Care R&D’. The Boots Research Paper of the Year Award will be
announced and presented at 1.45 pm.
End For further information, please
contact:
Jacqueline Blissett, RCGP Press Office: 020
7344 3135
Notes for Editors
Journalists are welcome to attend the 2000
and On – Funding for Primary Care R&D and the Primary Care
Research Agenda for the Future Seminar on 21st June
2000. If you would like to attend please contact Jacqueline
Blissett on 020 7344 3135.
The winning paper of the RCGP/Boots the Chemist
Research paper of the Year Award was originally published in the
British Medical Journal on 22nd January 1999.
i R&D - Research and
Development
ii Professor Cliff Bailey is Lead
for NSH R&D Director for Primary Care
iii Professor David Mant is
Co-ordinator of Review of Primary Care R&D Strategy for the
Clarke Review of the NHS Funding Levy