Abstract
<i>Background</i>: Effective practice of recommended infant feeding methods is key to child survival strategy in sub-Saharan Africa. Attitude towards infant feeding has been shown to be a significant determinant of practice. For health workers, attitude may determine the propensity to counsel mothers towards adoption and adherence to recommended infant feeding practices. This study aimed at assessing health workers’ attitude towards infant feeding. <i>Methods</i>: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study carried out in April 2019. Leslie Kish formula was used to recruit 225 health workers in Calabar to participate in the study. Ethical approval was obtained from the Cross River State Research and Health Ethics Committee. A validated self-administered IOWA infant feeding attitude scale was utilized in this study. Using the scale, attitude was categorized as positive for breastfeeding, neutral, and positive for formula feeding. Data was analysed using SPSS version 21.0, and p-value was set at 0.05. <i>Result</i>: Two hundred and twenty-five respondents completed the questionnaire. Female: male ratio was 1:0.24, the commonest age group (43.1%) was 31 to 40 years old, and 60% of respondents were nurses. Most respondents (52.9%) had neutral attitude, while 44.0% had positive attitude for breastfeeding, and 3.1% had positive attitude towards formula feeding. Age group, religion, profession, and ethnicity did not significantly influence attitude towards breastfeeding (p>0.05). <i>Conclusion</i>: Neutral attitude towards breastfeeding was common among health workers. This has implications for successful implementation of the recommended breastfeeding initiative towards improvement in child survival especially in resource-poor settings. Regular re-training of health workers is needed, especially through continuing educational effort by the various health professional bodies.
Highlights
Under nutrition accounts for nearly half of all deaths in children under- five years of age globally and its effect may lead to stunted growth with impaired cognitive ability and in later life reduced work performance. [1]Many factors contribute to under nutrition though the underlying factor is poverty and to some extent ignorance
Agreed and strongly agreed items were that breast milk is more digested than formula (91.6%, item 13), is more convenient than formula feeding (90.6% cumulatively, item 15), is cheaper than formula (90.6%, item 16), and is the ideal food for babies (90.3%, item 12)
This study found unsatisfactory level of attitude of health workers towards appropriate infant feeding practices
Summary
Under nutrition accounts for nearly half of all deaths in children under- five years of age globally and its effect may lead to stunted growth with impaired cognitive ability and in later life reduced work performance. [1]Many factors contribute to under nutrition though the underlying factor is poverty and to some extent ignorance. [2] the rate of adherence to recommended infant feeding practice is poor in diverse global settings, including developing countries which are worse hit by poor child health indices. Non-adherence to recommended practices among health workers, has been attributable to poor knowledge of the benefits, appropriate techniques, and other aspects of breastfeeding. This study aimed at assessing the attitude of health workers in Calabar, Nigeria about appropriate infant feeding practices. Attitude may determine the propensity to counsel mothers towards adoption and adherence to recommended infant feeding practices. Conclusion: Neutral attitude towards breastfeeding was common among health workers This has implications for successful implementation of the recommended breastfeeding initiative towards improvement in child survival especially in resource-poor settings. Regular re-training of health workers is needed, especially through continuing educational effort by the various health professional bodies
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