Alkazemi Dalal Usamah, Jackson Roberts
Food Science and Nutrition, Kuwait University, Aladailiya, Kuwait.
Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.
BMJ Nutr Prev Health. 2019 Nov 2;2(2):100-109. doi: 10.1136/bmjnph-2019-000027. eCollection 2019.
Breastfeeding (BF) has many benefits for both infants and mothers. However, despite evidence in support of BF, its prevalence has remained low in Kuwait. The purpose of this study was to (1) assess and describe BF attitudes and knowledge among women at a college campus; (2) evaluate BF exposures and sociodemographic factors associated with attitudes toward BF; (3) determine the association between BF knowledge and attitudes.
This survey was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted from February to April 2016. A convenience sample of 330 women (students, faculty and staff) from the College of Life Sciences (CLS) at Kuwait University participated in the survey.
Most of the participants respected women who breast fed (81.8%). Some participants believed that BF a baby is painful (43.3%), makes the breasts sag (35.8%), and restricts the mothers' freedom (51.5%). Additionally, 47.6% of the participants reported that they would feel embarrassed if they saw a woman BF her baby. Acceptability of BF in public was low and most participants preferred BF only around friends and family (52.4%). A statistically significant positive association was observed between BF knowledge and attitudes (R=6.5%, p<0.001); however, the relationship was not independent and was also associated with nationality and having been breast fed as a baby (R=10.3%, p=0.021).
BF knowledge is important to encourage positive BF attitudes, and both are enforced with family values and practice across generations.
母乳喂养对婴儿和母亲都有诸多益处。然而，尽管有证据支持母乳喂养，但在科威特其普及率仍然很低。本研究的目的是：（1）评估和描述大学校园女性对母乳喂养的态度和知识；（2）评估与母乳喂养态度相关的母乳喂养经历和社会人口学因素；（3）确定母乳喂养知识与态度之间的关联。
本调查是一项于2016年2月至4月进行的横断面描述性研究。来自科威特大学生命科学学院（CLS）的330名女性（学生、教职员工）组成的便利样本参与了调查。
大多数参与者尊重进行母乳喂养的女性（81.8%）。一些参与者认为母乳喂养婴儿很痛苦（43.3%）、会使乳房下垂（35.8%）以及限制母亲的自由（51.5%）。此外，47.6%的参与者报告说，如果看到一名女性母乳喂养她的婴儿，他们会感到尴尬。母乳喂养在公共场合的可接受性较低，大多数参与者更喜欢只在朋友和家人面前进行母乳喂养（52.4%）。母乳喂养知识与态度之间存在统计学上显著的正相关（R = 6.5%，p < 0.001）；然而，这种关系并非独立，还与国籍以及婴儿时期是否接受过母乳喂养有关（R = 10.3%，p = 0.021）。
母乳喂养知识对于鼓励积极的母乳喂养态度很重要，并且两者都受到家庭价值观以及代代相传的做法的影响。
