Intention and practice on breastfeeding among pregnant mothers in Malaysia and factors associated with practice of exclusive breastfeeding: A cohort study

Background Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Malaysia is low despite its known health benefits. This study aims to determine the prevalence of intention to breastfeed among pregnant mothers, the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding practice after delivery, and factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding practice. Methods This was a prospective cohort study. All pregnant women at 36 weeks gestation or above from 17 antenatal health clinics in an urban district were invited to participate in the study. A self-administered questionnaire was used, encompassing sociodemographic, breastfeeding knowledge, attitude, and intention towards the practice of breastfeeding. The participants were followed up one month post-natal for their practice of breastfeeding via telephone or during their post-natal follow-up appointment. Results 483 pregnant mothers participated in the study initially. 462 (95.7%) were contactable after one month. 99.4% (459/462) of participants intended to breastfeed. 65.4% (302/462) of participants practiced exclusive breastfeeding. There was no significant association between intention and practice of exclusive breastfeeding. Multiple logistic regression analysis shows, pregnant mothers with high breastfeeding knowledge (AOR = 1.138; 95% CI 1.008–1.284) and Malay ethnicity (AOR = 2.031; 95% CI 1.066–3.868) were more likely to breastfeed their infant exclusively. Conclusions Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding practice at one month in the studied district was 65.4%. Malay mothers and mothers with high breastfeeding knowledge were more likely to breastfeed exclusively. Thus, we recommend targeted intervention towards non-Malay mothers and increasing breastfeeding knowledge to all pregnant mothers.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Breastfeeding Among Mothers of Children Under 6 Months of Age in Suva, Fiji

Breastfeeding is a cost-effective public health approach that decreases infant and child morbidity and mortality. Fiji's exclusive breastfeeding rate was 40 percent compared to the global target of 50 percent. The research aims to evaluate mothers’ breastfeeding infants' level of knowledge, attitudes, and practice less than 6 months of age in Suva. A descriptive quantitative cross-sectional study was carried out in 3 randomly selected medical areas in Suva, Fiji. Knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) questionnaire was used to gather data from 415 mothers. The overall mean scores for breastfeeding knowledge of mothers were 12.9, the attitude was 33.7, and practice 7.20. Results showed that mothers were generally found to have good levels of knowledge and practice but a fair attitude. Knowledge was associated with the number of children that mothers had and ethnicity. Attitude had a positive correlation with household income. The practice was positively correlated with the mother's status of employment, the number of children, ethnicity, marital status, and household income. To improve breastfeeding knowledge, attitude and practices of mothers, awareness and education should be strengthened in all health facilities. Improvement in health education materials and advocacy is required.

THE CORRELATION OF MOTHER’S KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE WITH BREASTFEEDING PRACTICES IN TULANG BAWANG BARAT DISTRICT AT 2021

Introduction:Breast milk is a liquid formed from a mixture of two substances, namely fat and water contained in a solution of protein, lactose and inorganic salts produced by the mother's breast glands, and is useful as baby food. Mother's knowledge and attitude in exclusive breastfeeding plays an important role in increasing the growth and development of children. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the level of knowledge (cognitive factors) and attitudes (affective factors) of mothers in the practice of exclusive breastfeeding in Tulang Bawang Barat District in 2021. Method: This research is a quantitative research, with a cross sectional approach. The population in this study were all mothers who had babies > 6 months-12 months as many as 2285 with samples taken as many as 93 respondents. The object of this research is exclusive breastfeeding, knowledge and attitude. The research was conducted in June 2021 in the District of Tulang Bawang Barat. Collecting data using a questionnaire, data analysis is univariate, bivariate and multivariate. Results: The results showed that there was a relationship between knowledge (p value = 0.016, OR = 3.264), and attitudes (p value = 0.001, OR = 7.848) towards exclusive breastfeeding in Tulang Bawang Barat District in 2021. Dominant factors related to exclusive breastfeeding in Tulang Bawang Barat District in 2021, namely the attitude with a p-value of 0.000 OR 10.197. Conclusion: The dominant factor related to the practice of exclusive breastfeeding in Tulang Bawang Barat is the attitude of the mother. To improve the attitude of mothers in the Practice of Exclusive Breastfeeding, the Health Office needs to carry out health promotions with a more frequent frequency by using more attractive health promotion media in collaboration with the health promoter team at the puskesmas.

Evaluation of Breastfeeding Attitudes, Education, and Training Among Gynecology Healthcare Professionals in Greece

Background There is strong evidence suggesting that support from a trained healthcare professional can have a positive effect on initiation, duration, and experiences of breastfeeding. It is therefore important that nursing, medical and other students in healthcare, acquire knowledge about breastfeeding, and develop skills to effectively support and care for pregnant women and new mothers. This study tried to investigate the knowledge level, attitudes, and perceptions of gynecology healthcare professionals in Greece towards breastfeeding. Methods A self-administered questionnaire was provided asking the healthcare professionals and students to answer multiple choice questions. The study was conducted mainly at the facilities of Medical Faculty Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The questionnaire was administered to 312 healthcare professionals (midwifes, students, physicians, and other healthcare professionals). Results The questionnaire demonstrated that 70% of the respondents had moderate breastfeeding knowledge at best while 30% lacked knowledge concerning the management of special breastfeeding scenarios. 84% had previous personal breastfeeding experience or at least are willing to do so in the future (themselves or their partners) with 39.1% aiming to breastfeed approximately for one year. The same pattern was observed in terms of their breastfeeding recommendations to other mothers regardless of their sex. 59.6% admitted that they did not have the necessary time to properly inform mothers about breastfeeding while 72.4% acknowledged improper breastfeeding information as an important factor for the low breastfeeding rates in Greece. Finally, 80.4% stated that their education was lacking in didactic depth and their training in hands-on experience while 88.8% clearly underlined that there was room for improvement in their education/training curriculum. Expert teams, well-organized educational programs and advanced computing could contribute to the personnel’s harmonization with the various breastfeeding objectives to create a “breastfeeding-friendly” social environment. Conclusions This study revealed that although most Greek gynecology healthcare professionals have very positive attitudes towards breastfeeding, their breastfeeding knowledge was moderate at best and could be further improved.

Breastfeeding knowledge and attitudes of Nigerian mothers assessed by the Iowa infant feeding attitudes scale

Background: Excusive breastfeeding practice in Nigeria is reportedly dwindling, yet the current breastfeeding practices and challenges remain largely unknown. To use the Iowa infant feeding attitude scale (IIFAS) to assess the breastfeeding knowledge and attitude of recently delivered mothers in Lagos Nigeria.Methods: A community-based survey. Study-related data were obtained from 636 mothers selected through multistage sampling, using IIFAS. The scale was validated for our environment before use in the study. The study data were managed with SPSS version 22.0.Results: The prevalence of any breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months and timely initiation of breastfeeding was 99.5%, 22.2% and 47.4% respectively. While the mothers had some knowledge of breastfeeding, their overall knowledge and attitudes about breastfeeding were positive towards infant formula than breastfeeding. More than half of the mothers in our study stated that infant formula was as healthy for infants as breastmilk (62.3%), formula feeding is the better choice if the mother plans to go back to work (80.7%), and that formula feeding was more convenient than breastfeeding (56.9%). Previous exclusive breastfeeding experience (OR 2.7, 95% CI: 1.15, 8.41), being a housewife (OR 1.6, 95% CI: 1.14, 10.9), and having a positive attitude to breastfeeding (OR 1.9, 95% CI: 1.3, 11.6) were found to be associated with exclusive breastfeeding.Conclusions: Although breastfeeding was almost universal in the study area (99.5%), the knowledge and attitude to exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) were suboptimal. Public health education on breastfeeding should be intensified before, during and after pregnancy to improve mother’s EBF knowledge and attitude.

Breastfeeding Knowledge and Behavior in Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) as a Natural Contraceptive

The lactational amenorrhea method (LAM) is a natural contraceptive that is highly effective after the three essential criteria are fulfilled. However, there is a significantly low adoption resulting from poor knowledge and correct practices. This study aimed to determine the correlation between knowledge and behavior of breastfeeding mothers on breastfeeding as a natural contraceptive. This was an analytic observational study with a cross-sectional design involving 89 breastfeeding mothers and was performed from January to March 2018. Furthermore, data were collected using a questionnaire, and the results showed knowledge of breastfeeding mothers to be good (59.6%) and not good (51.7%). However, the individual’s behavior towards the implementation of LAM was not good (48.3%) and good (40.4%). Based on the statistical test, there was a correlation between knowledge and behavior of breastfeeding mothers, with a p-value of 0.006 (OR = 3.463; 95% CI = 1.411 – 8.498). In brief, knowledge of LAM amongst the participants is good, despite the poor application in terms of behavior. Also, a relationship was also established between the knowledge and behavior of breastfeeding mothers as a natural contraceptive.

Déterminants clés de la pratique optimale de l’allaitement exclusif au niveau de la communauté urbaine de Niamey, Niger

L’allaitement maternel exclusif (AME), mode d’alimentation de prédilection pour les nourrissons, demeure insuffisamment pratiqué. ’objectif général de cette étude était de contribuer à la pratique optimale de l’AME au niveau de la communauté urbaine de Niamey. Cette étude transversale, d’une durée de 3 mois a porté sur un échantillon de 400 mères d’enfants de 0-6 mois choisi, par commodité au cours de leurs consultations nourrisson au niveau des centres de santé. Les résultats ont montré que l’initiation précoce à l’allaitement maternel a concerné 48% d’enfants ayant été mis au sein dans l’heure qui suit la naissance, et que seulement 33, 5% des mères ont pratiqué l’AME. Cependant, l’analyse statistique traduit une association entre l’allaitement maternel exclusif et certains des facteurs testés. Ces facteurs clés permettant d’optimiser la pratique de l’AME demeurent: la connaissance de la durée et de la définition de l’AME, la connaissance des avantages de l’AME pour la mère tels que : retarde la fertilité et renforce le lien mère/enfant ; la connaissance des avantages pour l’enfant notamment: enfant grossit bien ou l’enfant est toujours en bonne santé et enfin le caractère économique de l’AME. Ces données permettent une meilleure orientation des interventions axées sur la pratique optimale de l’allaitement maternel à Niamey. English title: Key determinants of exclusive breastfeeding optimal practice in the urban community of Niamey, Niger Exclusive breastfeeding, the preferred feeding mode for infants, remains insufficiently practised. The overall objective of this study was to contribute to the optimal practice of exclusive breastfeeding in Niamey urban community. This cross-sectional study included a sample of 400 mothers of children aged 0-6 months chosen for convenience during their infant consultations at the health centre level. The results showed that 48% of children who were breast-fed within one hour of birth were introduced early to breastfeeding, and only 33.5% of mothers practiced exclusive breastfeeding. However, the statistical analysis shows an association between exclusive breastfeeding and some of the factors tested. These key factors for optimizing the practice of exclusive breastfeeding remain: knowledge of the duration and definition of breastfeeding, knowledge of the benefits of breastfeeding for the mother such as: delays fertility and strengthens the mother/child bond; knowledge of the benefits for the child in particular: child grows well or the child is always healthy and finally the economic character of the breastfeeding. These data allow a better orientation of interventions focused on the optimal practice of breastfeeding in Niamey.

Exploring the Impact of Offering an Undergraduate Lactation Elective Course as a Strategy for Normalizing Breastfeeding

BackgroundMore breastfeeding interventions targeting female and male undergraduates before they become parents are needed to foster accurate breastfeeding knowledge, positive attitudes toward breastfeeding, and a greater intent to breastfeed. This study aimed to assess the impact of completing a lactation elective course on undergraduates' breastfeeding knowledge, attitudes, and intention.MethodsPre- and postcourse surveys were administered to 96 undergraduates from various majors enrolled in a lactation elective.ResultsFrom pre- to postcourse, this study found significant increases in undergraduates' breastfeeding knowledge, attitudes, and intent.ConclusionsBecause most undergraduates in the United States become parents only after graduation, universities have an opportunity to foster the knowledge and attitudes needed to breastfeed successfully. As breastfeeding knowledge and attitudes in men and women are strong predictors of breastfeeding intent, initiation, and duration, offering undergraduate lactation elective courses is a promising strategy to improve future parents' breastfeeding knowledge, attitudes, and intention, helping to normalize breastfeeding and improve breastfeeding rates.

A Structural Model for Breastfeeding Behavior of First-Time Mothers

Purpose: This study aimed to develop a structural model to explain breastfeeding behavior of primipara based on information-motivation-behavioral skills. Variables were breastfeeding knowledge, breastfeeding motivation, breastfeeding self-efficacy, and parenting stress. Methods: Participants were first-time mothers who were breastfeeding infants from birth to 6 months. Data were collected from 5 pediatric hospitals and 1 public health center in Jeollanam-do from December 24, 2018 to February 28, 2019. A total of 285 questionnaires were included in the analysis. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics ver. 20.0 and AMOS 20.0 programs. Results: Fitness statistics for the hypothetical model were appropriate (χ2=48.30 [degrees of freedom= 14, p<0.001], goodness of fit index=0.96, normed fit index=0.89, comparative fit index=0.92, standardized root mean square residual=0.06). Breastfeeding self-efficacy had the most direct and total impact on breastfeeding behaviors (β=0.38, p=0.01). Breastfeeding self-efficacy was directly and totally influenced by breastfeeding knowledge (β=-0.18, p=0.01), breastfeeding motivation (β=0.26, p=0.01). Parenting stress showed a direct effect on breastfeeding self-efficacy (β=-0.14, p=0.02) and breastfeeding behavior (β=0.20, p=0.01), confirming its modulating effect on both variables. Conclusion: Since breastfeeding self-efficacy was the most important variable for the breastfeeding behavior in first-time mothers, nursing interventions should be developed to promote breastfeeding selfefficacy including accurate breastfeeding information and enhanced breastfeeding motivation. Strategies that could relieve or adjust parenting stress should be considered since parenting stress had a causal relationship with breastfeeding self-efficacy and breastfeeding behavior.