Breastfeeding knowledge and health behavior among Mayan women in rural Guatemala

Abstract

Guatemala has the fourth highest infant mortality rate in Latin America, which makes the support and protection of breastfeeding especially critical. Traditional health-promoting practices like breastfeeding may be protected by increasing knowledge of its benefits. Yet there is a dearth of research documenting breastfeeding knowledge (i.e., knowledge of its benefits for infant health and development) in communities where breastfeeding is already practiced. ObjectiveOur aim was to assess degree of breastfeeding knowledge among Mayan mothers in the rural highlands of North-Western Guatemala and compare knowledge of breastfeeding - a practice promoted by local health centers - and other traditional yet non-promoted infant care practices. MethodWe conducted a survey of maternal-infant health knowledge and behavior among mothers in rural Guatemala (N = 300) from six communities with a non-governmental organization (NGO) health program and one comparison community. ResultsOverall, mothers displayed more knowledge of the benefits of breastfeeding in comparison with other traditional infant care practices not promoted by a community health program. Mothers in communities with a health program demonstrated increased knowledge of breastfeeding, regardless of whether they personally participated in the program. This health knowledge predicted participation in novel health-promoting behaviors (family planning, prenatal care, exclusive breastfeeding). ConclusionsUnderstanding breastfeeding knowledge as a proxy for community health exposure may increase the efficacy and diffusion of community health messaging.