title: Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding infant feeding among HIV-infected pregnant women in Gaborone, Botswana: a cross-sectional survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding infant feeding among HIV-positive pregnant women in Gaborone, Botswana, and factors that influence their infant feeding choices.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study.
  A questionnaire survey of 96 HIV-positive pregnant women attending four public infectious disease control clinics in Gaborone, Botswana.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only about half of the study participants had knowledge about prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services related to breastfeeding, and very few (19.8%) chose to breastfeed their infants exclusively. Results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that receiving infant feeding counselling as part of the PMTCT programme was significantly associated with a decision to exclusively breastfeed (OR (95% CI) 5.38 (1.83 to 15.81)). Similarly, HIV-positive pregnant women who received breastfeeding counselling through the PMTCT programme had higher knowledge of PMTCT practices related to appropriate infant feeding (OR (95% CI) 5.91 (1.06 to 34.31)). Women who did not express concern about HIV stigma had significantly higher knowledge of PMTCT practices related to infant feeding (OR (95% CI) 5.91 (1.69 to 15.56)). Knowledge of PMTCT practices related to breastfeeding was negatively associated with the belief that breastfeeding could transmit HIV to the baby (OR (95% CI) 9.73 (3.37 to 28.08)).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowledge, attitudes and practices related to breastfeeding among HIV-positive pregnant women need further improvement, and the PMTCT programme should strengthen infant feeding counselling services to assist HIV-positive mothers in making informed and appropriate decisions regarding infant feeding.
authors.affiliation: School of Population, Community & Behavioural Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: Justina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ndubuka
authors.forename: Nnamdi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ndubuka
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Caitlin M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ehiri