Paediatria Croatica, Vol. 65 No. 2, 2021.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.13112/PC.2021.12
Intentions, attitudes and knowledge about breastfeeding tested in a sample of nursing students at Bjelovar University
Marija Čatipović
Karolina Lipak Štefančić
Mirna Žulec
Zrinka Puharić
Abstract
The knowledge, attitudes and intentions of health professionals about breastfeeding are important not only because of their personal decisions but also for their professional approach to the future or young parents regarding initiation and maintenance of
breastfeeding. This study aimed to determine intentions, attitudes and knowledge about breastfeeding among students of nursing
at the University of Bjelovar. Data were collected by a validated questionnaire. Differences in outcomes by study type (full-time and
part-time students and students motivated for additional breastfeeding education) and gender were analysed by t-test and MannWhitney test. The worst results on the BIAKQ questionnaire on the particles of intent were achieved by students in terms of breastfeeding after the age of two and breastfeeding in the workplace, on the particles of attitudes regarding father’s help to the mothers
who are breastfeeding in their workplace, breastfeeding for more than two years, equivalent food and breast milk, and legal regulations on the right to breastfeed in a public place. The worst result on the knowledge particles was achieved in terms of nutrition and
quality of substitute food in relation to breast milk. The results of the students did not differ statistically significantly according to the
way of studying or gender, the closest significance was the difference in the attitudes of female and male respondents (p=0.06). In
conclusion, the knowledge of students is insufficient, and a much bigger problem is their attitudes and intentions that deviate from
the instructions of the profession. This leads to the realization of the necessity of structured continuous education on breastfeeding
in order to update knowledge about the importance of breastfeeding and breast milk with recent knowledge and practice individual and group techniques aimed at correcting unhealthy and undesirable intentions and attitudes about breastfeeding. The results of
such education cannot be measured by school grades (because they do not respect intentions and attitudes), but by specialized
validated questionnaires
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
260302
URI
Publication date:
9.7.2021.
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