Effects of Educational Intervention about Breastfeeding on University Students' Knowledge and Attitudes toward Breastfeeding: Focusing on Gender Differences

Jo-Yoon Lee

doi:10.5720/kjcn.2018.23.1.1

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Lee: Effects of Educational Intervention about Breastfeeding on University Students' Knowledge and Attitudes toward Breastfeeding: Focusing on Gender Differences

Research Article

Korean Journal of Community Nutrition 2018; 23(1): 1-12.

Published online: 28 February 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5720/kjcn.2018.23.1.1

Effects of Educational Intervention about Breastfeeding on University Students' Knowledge and Attitudes toward Breastfeeding: Focusing on Gender Differences

Jo-Yoon Lee

Major of Hotel & Foodservice Industry, Joongbu University, Chungnam, Korea.

Corresponding author: Jo-Yoon Lee. Major of Hotel & Foodservice Industry, Joongbu University 201 Daehak-ro, Chubu-myeon, Geumsan-gun, Chungnam 32713, Korea. Tel: (041) 750-6729, Fax: (041) 750-6380, joyoon@joongbu.ac.kr

Received 2 February 2018 Revised 18 February 2018 Accepted 18 February 2018

The Korean Society of Community Nutrition

(open-access):

This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a targeted, practical education intervention on university students' knowledge and attitudes toward breastfeeding.

Methods

A university curricular intervention was designed for students to increase their knowledge and positive attitude toward breastfeeding issues. The participants attended a breastfeeding education lectures two hours of weekly for fifteen weeks in university; 61 students (female, n=31 and male, n=30) participated. The pre- and post-measurements included future breastfeeding intention, knowledge, attitude and perceived control beliefs scores based on the results of a questionnaire.

Results

The statistical analysis results revealed a significant difference in the pretest and posttest scores (0.57 to 5.10 points, p<0.001) in regard to the students' breastfeeding knowledge. For female students, significant differences were observed in the future breastfeeding intention (p<0.05), knowledge (p<0.001), and attitudes towards breastfeeding (p<0.05) between the pretest and posttest scores. For male students, there were no significant differences in the future breastfeeding intention, attitudes towards breastfeeding, and perceived control beliefs scores after the breastfeeding education lecture.

Conclusions

This study showed that the implementation of practical breastfeeding educational interventions helped improve university students' knowledge and attitudes toward breastfeeding. In summary, despite the limitations, it is necessary to pay more attention to improving students' knowledge and attitudes towards breastfeeding through university curricula.

Keywords: breastfeeding education, knowledge and attitudes toward breastfeeding, perceived control beliefs

Figures and Tables

Table 1

Course schedule and topics

Table 2

Demographic characteristics of the study participants

1) F: Female

2) M: Male

Table 3

Comparison of future breastfeeding intentions by the educated participants

1) Mean ± SD, range: 0 (low) − 5 (high); 1: strongly disagree, 2: disagree, 3: normal, 4: agree 5: strongly agree.

2) Independent t-test between female and male

3) Independent t-test between pre-test and post-test

^*: p<0.05

Table 4

The difference in breastfeeding knowledge by the educated participants

1) Range: −1 (low)~1 (high); −1: incorrect, 0: don't know, 1: correct

2) Total scored on a scale: −20~20 points

3) Independent t-test between pre-test and post-test

4) Independent t-test between female and male

Table 5

The difference of gender in breastfeeding knowledge by the educated participants

1) Statements were same as in Table 4.

2) Range: −1 (low)~1 (high); −1: incorrect, 0: don't know, 1: correct

3) Total scored on a scale: −20~20 points

4) Independent t-test between pre-test and post-test

Table 6

The difference in breastfeeding attitude by the educated participants

1) Mean ± SD

2) range: 0 (low) − 5 (high); 1: strongly disagree, 2: disagree, 3: normal, 4: agree 5: strongly agree.

3) range: 0 (low) − 5 (high); 1: very impossible, 2: impossible, 3: normal, 4: possible, 5: very possible

Table 7

The difference in breastfeeding perceived control by the educated participants

1) Mean ± SD

2) range: 0 (low) − 5 (high); 1: very difficult, 2: difficult, 3: normal, 4: easy, 5: very easy

3) range: 0 (low) − 5 (high); 1: very impossible, 2: impossible, 3: normal, 4: possible, 5: very possible

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ORCID iDs: Jo-Yoon Lee
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4010-1979
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