Evaluation of the nutritional knowledge levels and infant feeding attitudes of mothers who delivered late preterm and term infants

This study aims to evaluate the nutritional knowledge levels and infant feeding attitudes of mothers who gave birth to late preterm (34–36 weeks of gestation) and term infants. The study included 42 mothers (21 late preterm, 21 term) who were followed up at the Neonatology Outpatient Clinic of Başkent University Ankara Hospital. As data collection tools, a 63-question survey form evaluating the basic characteristics of the mother and baby as well as the mother's eating habits, the Nutrition Knowledge Scale (NKS), the IOWA Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS), 24-hour dietary recall, and anthropometric measurements were used. In the scope of anthropometric evaluations, mothers' body weight, height, skeletal muscle mass, body fat mass, body fat percentage, fat-free mass, and total body water values were measured using appropriate methods. For infants, body weight, length, and head circumference values at birth and at the time of examination were evaluated using age-adjusted weight, length, and head circumference z-scores. According to the findings, the majority of both late preterm and term mothers had low levels of nutritional knowledge (late preterm: 95.2%, term: 100%). The mean IIFAS score was 35.30±5.35 in late preterm mothers and 37.49±5.29 in term mothers; the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). A significant positive correlation was found between nutritional knowledge level and breastfeeding attitude in term mothers (s=0.544; p<0.05). Additionally, in the same group, significant positive correlations were found between nutritional knowledge and both skeletal muscle mass (r=0.510; p<0.05) and fat-free mass (r=0.521; p<0.05). In late preterm mothers, a significant negative correlation was found between body fat mass and IIFAS score (s=-0.468; p<0.05). Furthermore, an inverse relationship was observed between maternal age and nutritional knowledge level in the late preterm group (s=-0.666; p<0.01). When the relationships between NKS and IIFAS scores and infants' age-adjusted weight, length, and head circumference z-scores were examined, no statistically significant associations were found in either group (p>0.05). As a result, it was determined that the nutritional knowledge levels of mothers were generally low, regardless of gestational age. A significant relationship was observed between nutritional knowledge and breastfeeding attitude in term mothers. Additionally, the relationships between body composition and nutritional knowledge and infant feeding attitudes indicate the importance of educational and supportive interventions in these areas. For mothers who gave birth preterm in particular, implementing not only nutritional education but also multidimensional interventions is of great importance in increasing nutritional knowledge and effectively supporting the breastfeeding process.