Deficiencies in the Intentions, Attitudes, and Knowledge of Future Healthcare Professionals Regarding Breastfeeding
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, attitude...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Children |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/10/7/1256 |
| _version_ | 1797589706280534016 |
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| author | Marija Čatipović Štefica Mikšić Rajko Fureš Zrinka Puharić Dragica Pavlović |
| author_facet | Marija Čatipović Štefica Mikšić Rajko Fureš Zrinka Puharić Dragica Pavlović |
| author_sort | Marija Čatipović |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:11:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-13f8320f7f1949729bf3524a4ba52b47 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:11:21Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Children |
| spelling | doaj.art-13f8320f7f1949729bf3524a4ba52b472023-11-18T18:50:27ZengMDPI AGChildren2227-90672023-07-01107125610.3390/children10071256Deficiencies in the Intentions, Attitudes, and Knowledge of Future Healthcare Professionals Regarding BreastfeedingMarija Čatipović0Štefica Mikšić1Rajko Fureš2Zrinka Puharić3Dragica Pavlović4Department of Nursing, Bjelovar University of Applied Sciences, Trg E. Kvaternika 4, 43000 Bjelovar, CroatiaFaculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, CroatiaFaculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, CroatiaDepartment of Nursing, Bjelovar University of Applied Sciences, Trg E. Kvaternika 4, 43000 Bjelovar, CroatiaFaculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, CroatiaThe 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.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/10/7/1256breastfeedingeducationhealth studies |
| spellingShingle | Marija Čatipović Štefica Mikšić Rajko Fureš Zrinka Puharić Dragica Pavlović Deficiencies in the Intentions, Attitudes, and Knowledge of Future Healthcare Professionals Regarding Breastfeeding Children breastfeeding education health studies |
| title | Deficiencies in the Intentions, Attitudes, and Knowledge of Future Healthcare Professionals Regarding Breastfeeding |
| title_full | Deficiencies in the Intentions, Attitudes, and Knowledge of Future Healthcare Professionals Regarding Breastfeeding |
| title_fullStr | Deficiencies in the Intentions, Attitudes, and Knowledge of Future Healthcare Professionals Regarding Breastfeeding |
| title_full_unstemmed | Deficiencies in the Intentions, Attitudes, and Knowledge of Future Healthcare Professionals Regarding Breastfeeding |
| title_short | Deficiencies in the Intentions, Attitudes, and Knowledge of Future Healthcare Professionals Regarding Breastfeeding |
| title_sort | deficiencies in the intentions attitudes and knowledge of future healthcare professionals regarding breastfeeding |
| topic | breastfeeding education health studies |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/10/7/1256 |
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