Knowledge, attitudes and awareness regarding donor breast milk: a cross-sectional study of mothers in a high HIV-prevalent area
Background: The use of donated expressed breast milk (DBM) is encouraged in South Africa, with donor milk banks and legislated policies and programmes available in hospitals serving populations with a high HIV prevalence. Concerns over poor attitudes amongst mothers towards DBM seem to persist. Meth...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2023-04-01
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| Series: | The South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/16070658.2023.2189347 |
| _version_ | 1797678784013402112 |
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| author | Hadebe Thobeka Zamahlubi Kimesh L Naidoo Fharnisa Khan Refiloe Masekela |
| author_facet | Hadebe Thobeka Zamahlubi Kimesh L Naidoo Fharnisa Khan Refiloe Masekela |
| author_sort | Hadebe Thobeka Zamahlubi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The use of donated expressed breast milk (DBM) is encouraged in South Africa, with donor milk banks and legislated policies and programmes available in hospitals serving populations with a high HIV prevalence. Concerns over poor attitudes amongst mothers towards DBM seem to persist. Methods: A cross-sectional mixed-methods approach was used in a cohort of mothers of neonates in a regional hospital. Between April 2021 and January 2022, survey data on knowledge, awareness and attitudes towards DBM was collected. Qualitative data from open-ended questions were thematically analysed. Comparative analysis using independent sample t-tests and logistic regression to determine differences in variables and to understand associations related to knowledge was conducted. Results: A total of 163 mothers with a mean (SD) age of 27.1 ± 6.3 years were included; 49.7% of mothers had post-high-school qualifications, 82.8% were unemployed and 87.0% received social security. Some 64.4% had inadequate knowledge of DBM. Awareness of DBM had the strongest association with better knowledge concerning DBM and AdjOR (25.25 95% CI 10.60–68.40; p < 0.001). Negative attitudes towards DBM were largely driven by a lack of knowledge regarding human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening of donor mothers and fears of HIV transmission when using DBM. Conclusion: Lack of awareness concerning DBM was associated with poor knowledge of DBM, which may drive poor uptake of this critical nutritional source for at-risk neonates. Implementing targeted awareness programmes on DBM, which begin in the antenatal period and specifically address HIV screening of donor mothers, could address the poor uptake of DBM. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T23:04:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d7f25873d98a44579ad33817af4f49ba |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1607-0658 2221-1268 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T23:04:45Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj.art-d7f25873d98a44579ad33817af4f49ba2023-09-21T13:38:27ZengTaylor & Francis GroupThe South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition1607-06582221-12682023-04-01001810.1080/16070658.2023.21893472189347Knowledge, attitudes and awareness regarding donor breast milk: a cross-sectional study of mothers in a high HIV-prevalent areaHadebe Thobeka Zamahlubi0Kimesh L Naidoo1Fharnisa Khan2Refiloe Masekela3University of KwaZulu-NatalUniversity of KwaZulu-NatalUniversity of KwaZulu-NatalUniversity of KwaZulu-NatalBackground: The use of donated expressed breast milk (DBM) is encouraged in South Africa, with donor milk banks and legislated policies and programmes available in hospitals serving populations with a high HIV prevalence. Concerns over poor attitudes amongst mothers towards DBM seem to persist. Methods: A cross-sectional mixed-methods approach was used in a cohort of mothers of neonates in a regional hospital. Between April 2021 and January 2022, survey data on knowledge, awareness and attitudes towards DBM was collected. Qualitative data from open-ended questions were thematically analysed. Comparative analysis using independent sample t-tests and logistic regression to determine differences in variables and to understand associations related to knowledge was conducted. Results: A total of 163 mothers with a mean (SD) age of 27.1 ± 6.3 years were included; 49.7% of mothers had post-high-school qualifications, 82.8% were unemployed and 87.0% received social security. Some 64.4% had inadequate knowledge of DBM. Awareness of DBM had the strongest association with better knowledge concerning DBM and AdjOR (25.25 95% CI 10.60–68.40; p < 0.001). Negative attitudes towards DBM were largely driven by a lack of knowledge regarding human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening of donor mothers and fears of HIV transmission when using DBM. Conclusion: Lack of awareness concerning DBM was associated with poor knowledge of DBM, which may drive poor uptake of this critical nutritional source for at-risk neonates. Implementing targeted awareness programmes on DBM, which begin in the antenatal period and specifically address HIV screening of donor mothers, could address the poor uptake of DBM.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/16070658.2023.2189347donated expressed breast milkhivbreastfeedinglow birthweightprematurity |
| spellingShingle | Hadebe Thobeka Zamahlubi Kimesh L Naidoo Fharnisa Khan Refiloe Masekela Knowledge, attitudes and awareness regarding donor breast milk: a cross-sectional study of mothers in a high HIV-prevalent area The South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition donated expressed breast milk hiv breastfeeding low birthweight prematurity |
| title | Knowledge, attitudes and awareness regarding donor breast milk: a cross-sectional study of mothers in a high HIV-prevalent area |
| title_full | Knowledge, attitudes and awareness regarding donor breast milk: a cross-sectional study of mothers in a high HIV-prevalent area |
| title_fullStr | Knowledge, attitudes and awareness regarding donor breast milk: a cross-sectional study of mothers in a high HIV-prevalent area |
| title_full_unstemmed | Knowledge, attitudes and awareness regarding donor breast milk: a cross-sectional study of mothers in a high HIV-prevalent area |
| title_short | Knowledge, attitudes and awareness regarding donor breast milk: a cross-sectional study of mothers in a high HIV-prevalent area |
| title_sort | knowledge attitudes and awareness regarding donor breast milk a cross sectional study of mothers in a high hiv prevalent area |
| topic | donated expressed breast milk hiv breastfeeding low birthweight prematurity |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/16070658.2023.2189347 |
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