Deficiencies in the Intentions, Attitudes, and Knowledge of Future Healthcare Professionals Regarding Breastfeeding

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the level of knowledge, positive intentions, and attitudes regarding breastfeeding among university students. A validated questionnaire collected data from 236 students of the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek about breastfeeding intentions, attitudes, and knowledge. Descriptive methods were used to present the students’ results in terms of their intentions, attitudes, and knowledge. For each question included in the questionnaire, the maximum possible and maximum achieved numbers of points were calculated, as well as the percentage of points achieved in relation to the maximum possible number. Correlations between the results on individual scales of the questionnaire and the total results of the questionnaire are shown by Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Questionnaire answers that were least in line with professional recommendations were selected and analyzed. We found that the areas that should be given special attention in the education of students are: the intention of breastfeeding for more than a year; the use of breaks for breastfeeding in the workplace; attitudes and knowledge about the quality of breast milk in relation to substitutes; attitudes about breastfeeding in public places and breastfeeding for more than two years; and the feeling of maternity and breastfeeding (compared to bottle feeding). The relationship between the results was considered in terms of intentions, attitudes, and knowledge in relation to the overall results of the questionnaire, and the authors’ thoughts on the reasons behind the poorer results achieved for certain questions were presented.

Development and Validation of a Questionnaire on Breastfeeding Behavior, Attitudes and Knowledge of a Sample of Croatian Health Worker

“…Zdravstveni djelatnici mogu (i trebaju) podržati dojenje na različite načine, ovisno o svom radnom mjestu. Uspješnom dojenju svojih pacijenta zdravstveni djelatnici mogu pridonijeti sudjelovanjem u trudničkim tečajevima, podrškom projektima poput "Vrtići prijatelji dojenja", "Igraonice prijatelji dojenja, "Klupa za dojenje", "Mjesto za dojenje u javnom prijevozu" itd, sudjelovanjem u edukaciji o dojenju učenika srednjih škola u sklopu među predmetne teme Zdravlje, pomoći majci kod započinjanja dojenja u rodilištima, posjetama patronažne sestre trudnicama i ranom posjetom majci i djetetu po dolasku kući iz rodilišta, radom u grupama za potporu dojenja, obilježavanjem Svjetskog i Nacionalnog tjedna dojenja, pridržavanjem Međunarodnog pravilnika o zabrani reklamiranja nadomjestaka za majčino mlijeko, točnim informacijama roditeljima o prednostima dojenja i pomoći majkama kod teškoća s dojenjem u svakodnevnom kliničkom radu (7). Mnogi zdravstveni djelatnici posjeduju teorijsku stručnost o temi dojenja, ali im nedostaju praktične vještine (8).…”