Elizabeth Johnson-Young, assistant professor of communication, received a top paper award in the Theory and Methodology division of the Eastern Communication Association. The paper, Uses and Gratifications During Pregnancy and Their Impact on Breastfeeding Intentions, was presented at the association’s annual conference held in Baltimore, Md.
The paper utilized uses and gratifications, traditionally employed as a descriptive media theory, to help explain breastfeeding intentions among surveyed pregnant women. Starting with a qualitative approach to the uses and gratifications data, a typology of media uses was constructed for data analysis. Findings demonstrated the importance of rethinking traditional uses and gratifications research and some ways that media messages might impact breastfeeding intentions on their own and through interactions with other important variables, such as body satisfaction.