[Ways of evaluating Latin-American initiatives for promoting breastfeeding].

This work has analyzed the different methods used since the 1990s for evaluating initiatives aimed at promoting breastfeeding in Latin-America. A review was made of the pertinent literature using a protocol based on researching, selecting and analyzing different ways of making such evaluation. Fifty-eight evaluations were selected for study and comparison. It is worth noting that the most commonly used types of evaluation concerned initiative effectiveness and impact; assessment was particularly aimed at educational or breastfeeding counseling programs. Evaluation also concerned initiatives encompassing two or three healthcare promotion strategies related to developing personal skills and the reorientation of healthcare services. The results provided an overview of the way initiatives promoting breastfeeding have been evaluated related to the pertinent literature regarding how healthcare promotion is evaluated.