A CROSS-SECTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND PRACTICES TOWARD BREAST MILK FEEDING AMONG THE HEALTHY POPULATION OF LAHORE, PAKISTAN
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Date
2024
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Publisher
UMT.Lahore
Abstract
Despite the recognized benefits of breastfeeding, Pakistan faces challenges with
low initiation rates and widespread preliminary feeding practices. This contributes to
infant morbidity and mortality. The study aimed to analyze the correlation between
sociodemographic factors and hygiene practices with maternal knowledge, attitudes,
and practices regarding breast milk feeding among Pakistani mothers. This cross sectional study was conducted among a healthy population of mothers in Lahore,
Pakistan. The study included mothers of children aged 0-12 months, all native citizens
of Pakistan, and free from any diagnosed diseases. A structured questionnaire was used
to collect data on maternal knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to breast milk
feeding. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics, Pearson chi-square test,
and correlation analyses to examine the relationships between variables. The analysis
revealed no significant association (p>0.05) between age and perception of the
difference between breast milk and cow milk. However, education level showed a
significant association (p<0.05) with perception and consumption of breast milk vs.
cow milk, with higher education levels correlating with greater awareness of the
difference. The vast majority of mothers demonstrated a high awareness of
breastfeeding's importance (97.5%). A few mothers, however, believed that formula
milk is as healthy as breast milk. Mothers who believed breast milk should be the
infant's first feed were more likely (p<0.05) to have received encouragement from
health professionals to breastfeed.