Breastfeeding knowledge in university nursing students : a multicentre study in Spain

Abstract

Background: Exclusive breastfeeding is one of the main health and infant survival elements. To start and maintain breastfeeding, health professionals must receive culturally sensitive evidence-based breastfeeding training to offer future mothers the required information and support. While studying the nursing degree, acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills to successfully perform this work is essential. Objective: Study the level of nursing students' breastfeeding knowledge at three Spanish public universities; explore which variables are related to acquire this knowledge. Design: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional multicentre study. Methods: Participants were the students registered for the 4 nursing degree years at the three participating universities (N = 1540). They were asked about their breastfeeding knowledge with the self-administered AprendeLact Questionnaire; breastfeeding-related socio-demographic variables were included. Results: The overall mean score of the 684 returned questionnaires was 4.659 (±2.377) out of 10. The year-4 students from the Castellón university obtained significantly higher mean scores and had been on practicals in maternity or neonatology units, belonged to breastfeeding associations and were artificially fed as infants. University belonged to, current academic year and placements in maternity or neonatology units were relevant factors for acquiring breastfeeding knowledge. Conclusions: Syllabi based on progressive transversal learning, and participating in real maternity-related health settings, could be facilitating strategies to acquire a suitable level of breastfeeding knowledge.