title: Outcomes of a breastfeeding educational intervention for baccalaureate nursing students.
abstract: Educational institutions have the responsibility to provide students with knowledge and practical experiences of best practices and international standards of care. Worldwide, international standards for appropriate and effective breastfeeding promotion and services often have not been met. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an infant feeding educational intervention on student nurses' knowledge levels about (1) evidence-based breastfeeding promotion, (2) evidence-based beliefs about outcomes of breastfeeding and formula-feeding, (3) evidence-based attitudes toward breastfeeding and formula-feeding, and (4) intention to perform evidence-based breastfeeding promotion behaviors. A quasi-experimental intervention with a non-equivalent control group was conducted at a major university in Hong Kong. The intervention group (n=111) received 10h of didactic instruction and an 8-week perinatal clinical rotation while the control group (n=162) did not. The intervention group was significantly more likely to associate breastfeeding with positive maternal and child outcomes. Attitudes toward breastfeeding and formula-feeding were not significantly affected by the educational intervention. On the 19-item knowledge survey, the control group (M=6.84; SD=2.95) scored significantly lower than the intervention group (M=10.30; SD=2.51). A public health breastfeeding promotion strategy frequently overlooked is professional-level curricular interventions. Improving evidence-based practices in nursing programs has the potential to impact many breastfeeding families in the hospital and the community.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2528 McCarthy Mall, Webster Hall 435, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA. dodgson@hawaii.edu
authors.forename: Joan E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Dodgson
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tarrant
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001942:Breast Feeding; D053198:Child Nutrition Sciences / Q000193:education; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003479:Curriculum; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D016389:Maternal-Child Nursing / Q000193:education*; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires