Actual Condition and the Mother's Consciousness of the Use of ”Disposable Diapers”

Abstract

  Diapers have widely been used as essential nursing clothing for baby. Commercially available diapers are mainly classified into two, cloth and disposable, types. The latter is now more preferred in common.

  We surveyed the actual use of disposable diapers through questioning a number of mothers to acknowledge their manners and consciousness of the use. The results were also compared with those in 1985 as necessary.

  The findings are as follows :

  1) The consumption of disposable diapers was about six times greater as compared with 10 years ago, while the consumption of cloth diapers was declined to almost a half.

  2) It was taught that the disposable diapers were advantageous as they absorbed a more amount of urine, allow less leakage, and were detachable with much ease. The disadvantage of the disposable diapers was a higher price.

  3) Among the users of both types, the disposable diapers were chosen during the night or the long outing.

  4) With regard to the consciousness of diapers, it was concluded through the principle component analysis that the use of ”disposable diapers” was based on factors including ease of training, better quality and function, and less labor requirement, while the use of ”cloth diapers” involved higher labor repquirement but provided skin friendliness.