Specific motivations of milk consumption among pregnant women enrolled in or eligible for WIC

To identify motivational determinants of milk consumption, a major source o f prenatal calcium intake, 180 pregnant women drawn from two prenatal clini cs in South Carolina were surveyed. Most of them were enrolled in or eligib le for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Ch ildren (WIC Program). The Theory of Planned Behavior was used to design an instrument assessing attitudinal, subjective normative, and perceived contr ol beliefs toward consuming milk. Motivational beliefs explaining milk cons umption were first explored using univariate regression (p < .05), and a se t of salient beliefs was identified using multiple regression with backward elimination (p < .1). Multiple regression models based upon these factors explained more than 49% of the variability in motivation for milk consumpti on (p = .0001). Practical reasons for consuming milk including "taste" and "quench thirst" and perceived health consequences were among attitudinal be liefs included in the models. "Husband/boyfriend," "doctor," and "nurse/WIC staff/nutritionist" were identified as social influences, and perceived co nfidence in "keeping milk fresh," "keeping milk at home for me," "buying/ge tting milk whenever I wanted to," and "being able to drink two cups a day" were among perceived control beliefs contributing to the models. These beli efs provide a basis for targeted prenatal educational interventions, which should include strategies addressing all three factors described in the Pla nned Behavior model.