Student nurses' beliefs and attitudes assessment towards i̇nfant nutrition

It is important to gain knowledge and skills about needs of mothers, in order to help them easily adapt to physiologic and psychological changes in the postpartum period, and facilitate the adjustment to parenting, and to gain knowledge about baby care. It is also crucial to determine the needs of the mother and the new born baby care, and to develop care, education and counselling services. Women during the postpartum period need nutrition counselling for baby. The aim of the study was to assess the nursing students? level of knowledge, attitudes and beliefs, who is the prespective health care member, about infant nutrition, breastmilk and breast-feeding, and so that to increase their awareness about infant nutrition and to provide suggestions for improving the students? knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about infant nutrition. This descriptive study was conducted on 400 undergraduate students in a school of nursing, located in Istanbul. Data were collected using Student Information Form and a Questionnaire for Beliefs and Attitudes towards Infant Nutrition. Cronbach?s alpha coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.88. The permission to conduct the study was obtained from the school adminstration. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 16). Study found that the beliefs and attitudes of the nursing students? about baby nutrition and breastfeeding were at moderate level. The knowledge of the students? about importance of breast-milk was poor. Female students had more positive attitudes and higher level of knowledge about baby nutrition than male students. Students, who completed a course in the Pediatric Nursing, or those with personal experience in caring for a baby, or those who had received any education about baby feeding, had higher scores from questionnaire. The nursing students? knowledge and attitudes toward breastfeeding and baby nutrition were also influenced by traditional practices. Study results suggest that it is important to develop courses in nursing curriculum about breastmilk, breast-feeding and infant-nutrition, and to develop efficient teaching methods and to create student discussion groups for teaching baby nutrition, and encourage students to take part in studies which may contribute positively to their knowledge or attitudes, and to provide clinical trainings.Key Words: İnfant nutrition, breastfeeding, nursing, nursing students