Expressed breast milk feeding: knowledge and attitude of employed mothers

Appropriate knowledge on expressing, storing and use of breast milk are essential for mothers to continue breastfeeding when they return to work. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitude of employed mothers towards breast milk expression, storage and usage. This cross-sec...

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Main Authors: Shabbir F, Nina H, Lim, ZY, Amelia AR, Nor Ain MZ, Shareena Ishak, Rohana Jaafar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2020
Online Access:http://journalarticle.ukm.my/15120/
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/15120/1/16_ms0384_pdf_54600.pdf
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author Shabbir F,
Nina H,
Lim, ZY
Amelia AR,
Nor Ain MZ,
Shareena Ishak,
Rohana Jaafar,
author_facet Shabbir F,
Nina H,
Lim, ZY
Amelia AR,
Nor Ain MZ,
Shareena Ishak,
Rohana Jaafar,
author_sort Shabbir F,
building UKM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Appropriate knowledge on expressing, storing and use of breast milk are essential for mothers to continue breastfeeding when they return to work. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitude of employed mothers towards breast milk expression, storage and usage. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 full-time employed mothers who delivered at a tertiary hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A content-validated questionnaire consisting of 28 questions testing knowledge and nine questions assessing attitude was used. The highest possible scores for knowledge and attitude were 28 and 45, respectively. The mean score for knowledge was 20.47 (SD 4.06). Mothers who scored ≥ 21 (≥75% of maximum score) were categorized as having “good knowledge” while those who scored <21 were considered to have “poor knowledge”. One hundred and seventy (57%) mothers had good knowledge. Good knowledge was significantly associated with Malay ethnicity, tertiary education, multiparity status and prior breastfeeding experience. Two hundred and nineteen (73%) mothers had a positive attitude (scored ≥34). Malay ethnicity, tertiary education, multiparity status, prior experience in giving expressed milk and feasibility of expressing breast milk at the workplace were significantly associated with a positive attitude. More than half of the mothers had good knowledge, and a higher proportion had a positive attitude towards breast milk expression, storage and usage. Additional support and education should be given to mothers who are: non-Malay, non-tertiary educated and having their first child as these factors were associated with poor knowledge and negative attitude.
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spelling oai:generic.eprints.org:151202020-08-26T02:24:53Z http://journalarticle.ukm.my/15120/ Expressed breast milk feeding: knowledge and attitude of employed mothers Shabbir F, Nina H, Lim, ZY Amelia AR, Nor Ain MZ, Shareena Ishak, Rohana Jaafar, Appropriate knowledge on expressing, storing and use of breast milk are essential for mothers to continue breastfeeding when they return to work. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitude of employed mothers towards breast milk expression, storage and usage. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 full-time employed mothers who delivered at a tertiary hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A content-validated questionnaire consisting of 28 questions testing knowledge and nine questions assessing attitude was used. The highest possible scores for knowledge and attitude were 28 and 45, respectively. The mean score for knowledge was 20.47 (SD 4.06). Mothers who scored ≥ 21 (≥75% of maximum score) were categorized as having “good knowledge” while those who scored <21 were considered to have “poor knowledge”. One hundred and seventy (57%) mothers had good knowledge. Good knowledge was significantly associated with Malay ethnicity, tertiary education, multiparity status and prior breastfeeding experience. Two hundred and nineteen (73%) mothers had a positive attitude (scored ≥34). Malay ethnicity, tertiary education, multiparity status, prior experience in giving expressed milk and feasibility of expressing breast milk at the workplace were significantly associated with a positive attitude. More than half of the mothers had good knowledge, and a higher proportion had a positive attitude towards breast milk expression, storage and usage. Additional support and education should be given to mothers who are: non-Malay, non-tertiary educated and having their first child as these factors were associated with poor knowledge and negative attitude. Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2020 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://journalarticle.ukm.my/15120/1/16_ms0384_pdf_54600.pdf Shabbir F, and Nina H, and Lim, ZY and Amelia AR, and Nor Ain MZ, and Shareena Ishak, and Rohana Jaafar, (2020) Expressed breast milk feeding: knowledge and attitude of employed mothers. Medicine & Health, 15 (1). pp. 177-186. ISSN 2289-5728 http://www.medicineandhealthukm.com/toc/15/1
spellingShingle Shabbir F,
Nina H,
Lim, ZY
Amelia AR,
Nor Ain MZ,
Shareena Ishak,
Rohana Jaafar,
Expressed breast milk feeding: knowledge and attitude of employed mothers
title Expressed breast milk feeding: knowledge and attitude of employed mothers
title_full Expressed breast milk feeding: knowledge and attitude of employed mothers
title_fullStr Expressed breast milk feeding: knowledge and attitude of employed mothers
title_full_unstemmed Expressed breast milk feeding: knowledge and attitude of employed mothers
title_short Expressed breast milk feeding: knowledge and attitude of employed mothers
title_sort expressed breast milk feeding: knowledge and attitude of employed mothers
url http://journalarticle.ukm.my/15120/
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/15120/
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/15120/1/16_ms0384_pdf_54600.pdf